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 about rarities, and participate in general discussion through the sbcobirding email forum. Also check out the active Santa Barbara Birders Slack messaging app which includes the local RBA. 

 eBird 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

October Big Day The annual October Big Day is 10 October 2026. Big Days are a 24-hour opportunity to celebrate birds near and far. By taking part in October Big Day, you’re also joining the Global Bird Weekend, an annual international event celebrating birdwatching, migration, and avian conservation. 

News, Articles, & Events

Fall Hawk Migration Golden Gate Raptor Observatory programs start in mid-August when volunteers count thousands of migrating raptors at Marin Headlands. Daily counts often forecast the number of raptors moving south along the Pacific coast into to our area. See the Daily Hawk Count tally: 

Birds of California’s Channel Is. Birds of California’s Channel Islands is the first comprehensive guide to the birds of this unique island archipelago, offering a data-rich, high- resolution picture of the history, status, and distribution of the Channel Islands’ avifauna. By Paul W. Collins, Justyn T. Stahl and H. Lee Jones 

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. 

Slack Group for SBA Birders You can participate in a wide-range of discussion and monitor the Rare Bird Alert for SBA County through Slack. Access the group through the desktop version or the Slack mobile app. 

The Birds of SBA County Paul Lehman’s March 2026 update to The Birds of Santa Barbara County is now available. First published in 1999, Paul’s treatise remains the most accurate source of local bird information. 

County Statistics

eBird

Hotspots

There are over 500 eBird Hotspots in the county. Explore all the data from these shared locations.

Total

Species

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

Big Day

Record

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

400 Club

You can participate in this “non- competitive” listing game. Contact the webmaster to play.

511

562

193

County Birding Resources

Recent Rarities

Email sbcobirding@protonmail.com

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.