Birds
A collection of all the species I have seen from California, Arizona, New Mexico and Hawaii.
This page will be continuously updated as I continue encountering new species & taking photos of old friends.
For more check out my photography account on Instagram or my account on Bluesky.
Total Species Count: 133
Updated 4.1.25
Hawks, eagles, kites & Allies
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
*** Not pictured is the Bald Eagle // Haliaeetus leucocephalus, the Sharp-shinned Hawk // Accipiter striatus
Cooper's Hawk // Astur cooperii
Red-tailed Hawk // Buteo jamaicensis
Red-shouldered Hawk // Buteo lineatus
Northern Harrier // Circus hudsonius
White-tailed Kite // Elanus leucurus
American Osprey // Pandion haliaetus carolinensis
Waterfowl
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
*** Not pictured is the Surf Scoter // Melanitta perspicillata, the Canada Goose // Branta canadensis, the Snow Goose // Anser caerulescens, the Northern Shoveler // Spatula clypeata
Wood Duck // Aix sponsa
Mallard // Anas platyrhynchos
Ring-necked Duck // Aythya collaris
American Wigeon // Mareca americana
Red-breasted Merganser // Mergus serrator
Ruddy Duck // Oxyura jamaicensis
Cinnamon Teal // Spatula cyanoptera
Blue-winged Teal // Spatula discors
HUmmingbirds & Swifts
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Anna's Hummingbird // Calypte anna
Allen's Hummingbird // Selasphorus sasin
New World Vultures
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Cathartiformes
Turkey Vulture // Cathartes aura
Shorebirds
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
*** Not pictured is the Snowy Plover // Anarhynchus nivosus, the California Least Tern // Sternula antillarum browni
Spotted Sandpiper // Actitis macularius
Dunlin // Calidris alpina
Western Sandpiper // Calidris mauri
Least Sandpiper // Calidris minutilla
Semipalmated Plover // Charadrius semipalmatus
Killdeer // Charadrius vociferus
Long-billed Curlew // Fulica americana
Black Oystercatcher // Haematopus bachmani
Black-necked Stilt // Himantopus mexicanus
Western Gull // Larus occidentalis
Marbled Godwit // Limosa fedoa
Whimbrel // Numenius phaeopus
Red-necked Phalarope // Phalaropus lobatus
Black-bellied Plover // Pluvialis squatarola
American Avocet // Recurvirostra americana
Black Skimmer // Rynchops niger
Least Tern // Sternula antillarum
Forster's Tern // Sterna forsteri
Royal Tern // Thalasseus maximus
Greater Yellowlegs // Tringa melanoleuca
Willet // Tringa semipalmata
Pigeons & doves
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
*** Not pictured is the Mourning Dove // Zenaida macroura, Rock Pigeon // Columba livia
Kingfishers
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Alcedinidae
Belted Kingfisher // Megaceryle alcyon
Cuckoos
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Cuculiformes
*** Not pictured is the Greater Roadrunner // Geococcyx californianus
Falcons & caracaras
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Merlin // Falco columbarius
American Kestrel // Falco sparverius
Landfowl
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
*** Not pictured is the California Quail // Callipepla californica and the Gambel’s Quail // Callipepla gambelii
Chukar // Alectoris chukar
Wild Turkey // Meleagris gallopavo
Cranes, rails & allies
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Gruiformes
*** Not pictured is the Sandhill Crane // Antigone canadensis, the Sora // Porzana carolina, the Virginia Rail // Rallus limicola
American Coot // Fulica americana
Common Gallinule // Gallinula galeata
Light-footed Ridgway's Rail // Rallus obsoletus levipes
Perching Birds
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
*** Not pictured is the Ruby-crowned Kinglet // Corthylio calendula, the Golden-crowned Kinglet // Regulus satrapa, the Cedar Waxwing // Bombycilla cedrorum, the American Robin // Turdus migratorius, the California Towhee // Melozone crissalis, the Phainopepla // Phainopepla nitens, the Pyrrhuloxia // Cardinalis sinuatus, the American Crow // Corvus brachyrhynchos, the Steller’s Jay // Cyanocitta stelleri, the House Finch // Haemorhous mexicanus, the Dark-eyed Junco // Junco hyemalis, the Yellow-billed Magpie // Pica nuttalli, the Cactus Wren // Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus, the Northern Mockingbird // Mimus polyglottos, the Nothern Cardinal // Cardinalis cardinalis, the Red-breasted Nuthacth // Sitta canadensis, the Cave Swallow // Petrochelidon fulva
Red-winged Blackbird // Agelaius phoeniceus
Black-throated Sparrow // Amphispiza bilineata
California Scrub-Jay // Aphelocoma californica
Island Scub-Jay // Aphelocoma insularis
Wilson's Warbler // Cardellina pusilla
Brown Creeper // Certhia americana
Common Raven // Corvus corax
I'iwi // Drepanis coccinea
Purple Finch // Haemorhous purpureus
Loggerhead Shrike // Lanius ludovicianus
Island Loggerhead Shrike // Lanius ludovicianus anthonyi
Scaly-breasted Munia // Lonchura punctulata
Song Sparrow // Melospiza melodia
House Sparrow // Passer domesticus
Cliff Swallow // Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Green-tailed Towhee // Pipilo chlorurus
Spotted Towhee // Pipilo maculatus
California Gnatcatcher // Polioptila californica
Bushtit // Psaltriparus minimus
Great-tailed Grackle // Quiscalus mexicanus
Rock Wren // Salpinctes obsoletus
Black Phoebe // Sayornis nigricans
Say's Phoebe // Sayornis saya
Yellow-rumped Warbler // Setophaga coronata
Townsend's Warbler // Setophaga townsendi
Western Bluebird // Sialia mexicana
White-breasted Nuthatch // Sitta carolinensis
Lesser Goldfinch // Spinus psaltria
European Starling // Sturnus vulgaris
Bewick's Wren // Thryomanes bewickii
White-crowned Sparrow // Zonotrichia leucophrys
Herons, Ibises & Allies
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Great Egret // Ardea alba
Great Blue Heron // Ardea herodias
Green Heron // Butorides virescens
Little Blue Heron // Egretta caerulea
Reddish Egret // Egretta rufescens
Snowy Egret // Egretta thula
Tricolored Heron // Egretta tricolor
Yellow-crowned Night Heron // Nyctanassa violacea
Black-crowned Night Heron // Nycticorax nycticorax
White-faced Ibis // Plegadis chihi
Pelicans
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Pelecanidae
American Pelican // Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Brown Pelican // Pelecanus occidentalis
Woodpeckers & Allies
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
*** Not pictured is the Lewis’s Woodpecker // Melanerpes lewis, the White-headed Woodpecker // Dryobates albolarvatus
Northern Flicker // Colaptes auratus
Nuttall's Woodpecker // Dryobates nuttallii
Acorn Woodpecker // Melanerpes formicivorus
Grebes
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Podicipediformes
Western Grebe // Aechmophorus occidentalis
Eared Grebe // Podiceps nigricollis
Pied-billed Grebe // Podilymbus podiceps
Owls
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
*** Not pictured is the Great Horned Owl // Bubo virginianus and the American Barn Owl // Tyto furcata
Burrowing Owl // Athene cunicularia
Gannets, Cormorants & Allies
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Suliformes
Double-crested Cormorant // Nannopterum auritum
Brandt's Cormorant // Urile penicillatus