Annual Bird Records in Santa Cruz County, California

This list denotes species recorded in Santa Cruz County from 1999 to the present.   All species on the county list are shown. A date indicates when the species was first reported in each year. The record for 1999 simply indicates whether the bird was seen that year, as dates of first records were not kept. 

The status code indicates each species general status in the county during the course of the year. Codes are defined at the end of the list. If you see a species which does not already have a date near its name, please let us know. This list will be updated monthly. Additions, corrections or inquiries should sent to David Suddjian at dsuddjian@aol.com.

2010 Statistics (through 2/28/10).

An overlooked addition on January took the first month’s total even higher, to 215 species. After that strong start, February fell flat, with just five new species, half of the month’s average, but leaving us at 220 species, right at the year-to-date average. Notable rarity additions included a female Barrow’s Goldeneye (almost surely the same wintering bird spending its 3rd winter in the Pajaro River mouth / Moss Landing area), and a rare winter record of Indigo Bunting. A Ruddy Turnstone was also very noteworthy, now that wintering birds no longer reside in the county. Turning up at well worked West Cliff on just one date in mid-February, it was perhaps an early migrant.

The county’s list on eBird was at 217 species as of the end of February, trailing just a few species behind our composite list. Species reported for the year but missing on eBird appear to be Ruddy Turnstone, Least Sandpiper, and Long-billed Dowitcher. Perhaps observers of these species will submit their sightings to eBird? www.eBird.com

New Additions: Black Scoter (2/1), Barrow’s Goldeneye (2/14), Northern Fulmar (1/20), Ruddy Turnstone (2/12), Northern Rough-winged Swallow (2/27), Indigo Bunting (2/22).

One “Code 6” species was found: Barrow’s Goldeneye, Rock Sandpiper. “Code 5” species reported so far were Costa’s Hummingbird and Cassin’s Finch.

Please advise of any errors or omissions.

New species added per month