sbcobirding.com

Dedicated to the avifauna of Santa Barbara County

Species The Santa Barbara County Bird List contains more than 500 bird species. This list is updated when new birds have been recorded in the county, or when CA Bird Records Committee decisions and taxonomic updates are published. 

 Discussion Send and receive birding reports, read announcements about local rarities, and participate in general discussion through the sbcobirding forum. This group is open to everyone with an interest in county birding. 

 eBird Data eBird is a real-time, online checklist program that has revolutionized the way birders report and access information about birds. Participate in citizen science! Learn more about local birds by exploring the SBA county eBird page links. 

For everything birding in Santa Barbara County:

sbcobirding.com

Dowitcher ID with Jon Dunn Long-billed and Short-billed Dowitchers can be very difficult to tell apart. Join Jon Dunn as he discusses the ins and outs of Dowitcher identification, and which field marks can and cannot be relied on. This YouTube video from August 2020 was presented by LA Birders. 

News & Events

Hummingbirds Exhibit Experience a beautiful new exhibit about the exotic hummingbird family in the Museum’s Maximus Gallery. Featured are original 19th century hand-colored lithographs by British ornithologist John Gould. This new exhibit runs May 6 through September 5, 2022. 

The Birds of Santa Barbara Co. Paul Lehman’s Spring 2022 edition of The Birds of Santa Barbara County is now available. First published in 1999, Paul’s treatise remains the most accurate source of information on the status and distribution of county birds. Download BOSBC here: 

A Birder’s Guide to

Santa Barbara County

Visit the Birder’s Guide for a listing of popular local birding spots. This guide aligns with the four districts in Paul Lehman’s, The Birds of Santa Barbara County, California, and includes descriptions and eBird Hotspot links. 

Santa Barbara County boasts a rich diversity of bird life and there are many places to explore. Where the Birds Are

eBird RBA The eBird Rare Bird Alert displays observations of rarities in Santa Barbara County over the past seven days. Reports include un-reviewed and reviewed/validated sightings. 

Rare Bird Photos You can find many rare bird photos at the Rare Birds of Santa Barbara County photo pool at Flickr. Images in the pool have been shared by local and visiting birders. Contribute yours! 

SB Breeding Bird Study The Santa Barbara County Breeding Bird Study (BBS) provides a database of accounts of breeding bird records in the county. You can contribute your own records at this website link: 

County Statistics

Total

Species

The Santa Barbara County Bird Checklist has surpassed the 500 species milestone.

eBird

Hotspots

As suggested by birders, eBird Hotspots are the “better” places to go birding in the county.

Big Day

Record

A dedicated trio recorded a record setting 193 species in a single day on April 25, 2008.

400 Club

A field of 20 make up the 400 Club. You can participate in this “non- competitive” listing game. Join in!

493

504

193

Recent Rarities

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Webmaster Jamie Chavez

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 sbcobirding This website was created as a resource for everything birding in Santa Barbara County. The goal is simply to promote the activity of field birding in the county and to provide information to interested birders. If you have comments about this website or would like more information about local birding, please contact me.

sbcobirding receives the generous support of the Santa Barbara Audubon Society. For more than 50 years SBAS has helped to preserve the biological diversity of the Santa Barbara area.