Birding

Santa Clara Valley is known for its wide diversity of natural habitat including acres of redwoods, creeks, mixed oak woodlands and grasslands as well as tidal salt and fresh water marshes. It's the perfect place to look for and enjoy our large variety of native and visiting bird species.

SCVAS offers a wide array of activities and opportunities for you to learn about birds and Santa Clara Valley conservation.

Birding Resources

Our Nature Shop and Library contains lots of resources and books to enhance your birding experience.

Breeding Bird Atlas of Santa Clara County contains a species-by-species account of the 177 bird species that breed in the Santa Clara County. Includes an illustration, in-depth description, and detailed breeding map for each breeding bird species. 550 pages. Published by SCVAS in 2007.

Birding at the Bottom of the Bay describes the best publicly-accessible birding sites in Santa Clara County and nearby. Published by SCVAS in 2002.

Santa Clara County Bird Checklist (PDF) is a comprehensive listing of the birds of Santa Clara County compiled by Bill Bousman.

Educational Activities

We offer many adult classes for all levels of birders.

Take one of our popular field trips to learn in the field from experienced birders or to discover new birding areas.

Hang your own outdoor bird feeder for you and your family to observe birds right in your own backyard. The SCVAS Nature Shop has a wide selection of feeders and seed, and can help you make the right choice.

Learn how to create a healthy backyard habitat that is safe for people and pets and attractive to birds and other wildlife.

Citizen Science

Join a Christmas or Summer Bird Count to help us continue this important bird census. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations - and to help guide conservation action.

Join our Cavity Nesters Recovery Program (CNRP) to make and monitor your own nest box trail then add your results to our long-standing database.

There are many ways you can bird with a purpose to advance scientific knowledge.

Just for Fun

Participate in our annual Spring Birdathon competition to raise money for our important programs and maybe win a great prize too!

Last modified in May 2009.