Sacramento Birds of Note

Yellow-billed Magpie

Birders from all over the world travel to California’s Central Valley to observe the Yellow-billed Magpie. A species endemic to the open oak savannah of California, it’s bold coloring and gregarious nature make it easy to spot at local birding hotspots such as Ancil Hoffman Park or William B. Pond Recreation Area.

In May 2021, Dan Airola presented Population and Habitat of the Yellow-billed Magpie in Sacramento at the Sacramento Audubon Monthly Meeting. You’ll find a recording of this and other past presentations on the General Meeting / Monthly Speaker page.

Tricolored Blackbird

Found primarily in California’s Central Valley, Tricolored Blackbirds are often confused with their more numerous cousin, the Red-winged Blackbird. Once nesting in colonies of over 100,000 birds, they have declined precipitously in recent years and are now listed as a threatened species. Still, Sacramento County supports up to 25,000 nesting birds annually, a significant portion of the statewide population. Colonies move around from year to year, but can generally be found nesting in blackberry patches in grasslands and irrigated pastures such as those along Jackson Rd (Hwy 16).

In February 2021, Xerónimo Castañeda presented Tricolored Blackbird Conservation at the Sacramento Audubon Monthly Meeting. You’ll find a recording of this and other past presentations on the General Meeting/ Monthly Speaker page.

Swainson’s Hawk

Found primarily from March through September in the Central Valley, California’s Swainson’s Hawks are a distinct population from those found elsewhere on the continent. During their time in our area, they nest in cottonwood riparian woodlands and large lone trees adjacent to open areas, and can often be seen foraging in the agricultural fields surrounding Sacramento.

For more information on the local Swainson’s Hawk population visit Friends of the Swainson’s Hawk.

Sandhill Crane

A spectacular winter visitor to the Central Valley is the Sandhill Crane. Their triumphant bugling call can be heard throughout the region as migrating flocks return to the valley in fall and depart again in spring.

Throughout the winter, Sandhill Cranes can be found in large numbers at Delta hotspots such as Stone Lakes and Cosumnes River Preserve. They have even inspired their own festival in Lodi in November, brought to you by the Lodi Sandhill Crane Association.

Purple Martin

Purple Martins are summer residents that live and breed in colonies in the Sacramento Region. Unfortunately, the number of breeding colonies in our region has been in drastic decline. According to research by Dan Airola, “the Sacramento population declined by 88% between 2004 and 2019, to only 21 nesting pairs.”

Life Under the Fast Lane, a comprehensive report on long-term studies of the Sacramento population of Purple Martins is available for purchase through the Central Valley Bird Club and was published with support from the Sacramento Audubon Society.

Find more pictures and information about the birds of the Sacramento Valley by exploring the Gallery of Birds and Sacramento Area Bird Checklist.

Banner Photo Credit: Swainson’s Hawk by Daniel Lee Brown