The Intro
| Southern California offers wonderful birding opportunities for the novice and the experienced birder alike. There is nothing like the site of big waves crashing into the rocky shoreline, but there are many other locations that are fantastic birding areas along this picturesque strip of country. I started my life list in Santa Barbara when I was going to college and the first bird to go in my field book was a Brown Pelican. I have travelled across California many times since then and still find new and exciting spots to visit and birds to see. The coastline has some of the most diverse ecosystems from desert to lush estuaries and from pelagic trips to mountains. Being on the Pacific flyway there are lots of migrants as well as rarities that come both north and south. Most of these habitats are only a couple hours apart making birding a real treat. I will outline the general areas from Santa Barbara south and the birds that you can find there. |  |