Santa Clara County Bird List 2019

Cumulative list compiled and discussions written by Brooke Miller. Monthly reports are made up of both eBird sightings and postings on South Bay Birds. Please email additions, corrections, or comments to Brooke at idbirds@me.com.

Please post all your sightings to southbaybirds@groups.io and/or eBird.

See the Santa Clara County Bird List Discussion Archive 2019 or view all the cumulative year lists.

Discussion for December 2019

No new birds were found in December (3 is the average). We ended the year with a total of 280 birds (average is 286) at the end of 2019. Thank you to everyone who birded, and took the time to report birds either on SouthBayBirds, eBird, or send emails directly to me, during 2019.

Birds observed through December 2019

Name Date Rarity** Observer*
Fulvous Whistling-Duck 6
Snow Goose 1/1/2019 4 AV, MJM
Ross's Goose 1/26/2019 4 mob
Greater White-fronted Goose 1/2/2019 4 CBe
Brant 6
Cackling Goose 1/1/2019 3 mob
Canada Goose 1/1/2019 1 mob
Tundra Swan 1/12/2019 5 AV
Wood Duck 1/1/2019 3 mob
Garganey 6
Blue-winged Teal 1/1/2019 4 BM, AK
Cinnamon Teal 1/1/2019 2 mob
Northern Shoveler 1/1/2019 1 mob
Gadwall 1/1/2019 1 mob
Eurasian Wigeon 1/1/2019 4 GL
American Wigeon 1/1/2019 1 mob
Mallard 1/1/2019 1 mob
Northern Pintail 1/1/2019 1 mob
Green-winged Teal 1/1/2019 1 mob
Canvasback 1/1/2019 1 mob
Redhead 1/1/2019 3 mob
Ring-necked Duck 1/1/2019 2 mob
Tufted Duck 5
Greater Scaup 1/1/2019 2 mob
Lesser Scaup 1/1/2019 1 mob
Surf Scoter 1/1/2019 2 mob
White-winged Scoter 5
Black Scoter 6
Long-tailed Duck 2/24/2019 5 MMR,RGJ,MJM
Bufflehead 1/1/2019 1 mob
Common Goldeneye 1/1/2019 2 mob
Barrow's Goldeneye 1/24/2019 4 JY
Hooded Merganser 1/1/2019 3 mob
Common Merganser 1/1/2019 2 mob
Red-breasted Merganser 1/3/2019 3 JaL, WBr
Ruddy Duck 1/1/2019 1 mob
Mountain Quail 5
California Quail 1/1/2019 1 mob
Ring-necked Pheasant 1/20/2019 3 BM
Wild Turkey 1/1/2019 2 BPe, KONe
Pied-billed Grebe 1/1/2019 1 mob
Horned Grebe 1/1/2019 3 mob
Red-necked Grebe 5
Eared Grebe 1/1/2019 1 mob
Western Grebe 1/1/2019 2 mob
Clark's Grebe 1/1/2019 2 mob
Rock Pigeon 1/1/2019 1 mob
Band-tailed Pigeon 1/1/2019 2 mob
Eurasian Collared-Dove 1/1/2019 3 mob
White-winged Dove 6
Mourning Dove 1/1/2019 1 mob
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 6
Greater Roadrunner 1/12/2019 4 ARa
Lesser Nighthawk 6
Common Nighthawk 6
Common Poorwill 4/6/2019 3 JSta
Black Swift 5
Chimney Swift 6
Vaux's Swift 2/12/2019 3 RWR, FV
White-throated Swift 1/1/2019 2 mob
Black-chinned Hummingbird 1/28/2019 4 FV
Anna's Hummingbird 1/1/2019 1 mob
Costa's Hummingbird 5
Broad-tailed Hummingbird 6
Rufous Hummingbird 3/3/2019 4 BM
Allen's Hummingbird 1/23/2019 3 GL
Calliope Hummingbird 4/3/2019 5 PDu
Yellow Rail 6
Black Rail 3/3/2019 5 LMa
Ridgway's Rail 1/3/2019 2 mob
Virginia Rail 1/3/2019 2 JaL, WBr
Sora 1/1/2019 2 mob
Common Gallinule 1/1/2019 2 mob
American Coot 1/1/2019 1 mob
Sandhill Crane 10/27/2019 6 ABu,KONe,BPe,NGo
Black-necked Stilt 1/1/2019 1 mob
American Avocet 1/1/2019 1 mob
Black Oystercatcher 6
Black-bellied Plover 1/1/2019 1 GL, AK
American Golden-Plover 5
Pacific Golden-Plover 6/3/2019 5 MJM
Snowy Plover 1/2/2019 4 FV
Semipalmated Plover 1/2/2019 2 EMe, PLy
Killdeer 1/1/2019 1 mob
Mountain Plover 6
Whimbrel 1/3/2019 3 mob
Long-billed Curlew 1/1/2019 2 mob
Bar-tailed Godwit 6
Hudsonian Godwit 6
Marbled Godwit 1/1/2019 1 mob
Ruddy Turnstone 7/14/2019 5 PDu
Black Turnstone 6
Red Knot 5/15/2019 5 PDu
Ruff 2/14/2019 4 STr, FV
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 6
Stilt Sandpiper 4
Curlew Sandpiper 6
Sanderling 1/4/2019 4 BM
Dunlin 1/1/2019 1 mob
Baird's Sandpiper 8/1/2019 4 WLa
Little Stint 6
Least Sandpiper 1/1/2019 1 mob
White-rumped Sandpiper 6
Buff-breasted Sandpiper 6
Pectoral Sandpiper 9/4/2019 4 STr
Semipalmated Sandpiper 7/12/2019 4 MJM
Western Sandpiper 1/1/2019 1 mob
Short-billed Dowitcher 1/3/2019 1 WBr,JaL
Long-billed Dowitcher 1/1/2019 1 mob
Wilson's Snipe 1/1/2019 3 mob
Spotted Sandpiper 1/1/2019 3 KPa
Solitary Sandpiper 5/2/2019 5 STr
Wandering Tattler 6
Lesser Yellowlegs 1/10/2019 3 GL
Willet 1/1/2019 1 mob
Greater Yellowlegs 1/1/2019 2 mob
Wilson's Phalarope 5/13/2019 2 GL, BPe
Red-necked Phalarope 4/19/2019 2 RGJ
Red Phalarope 5
Pomarine Jaeger 6
Parasitic Jaeger 5
Long-tailed Jaeger 6
Common Murre 5
Pigeon Guillemot 6
Ancient Murrelet 6
Cassin's Auklet 6
Black-legged Kittiwake 6
Sabine's Gull 5
Bonaparte's Gull 1/3/2019 2 mob
Black-headed Gull 6
Little Gull 6
Laughing Gull 6
Franklin's Gull 5
Heermann's Gull 5
Mew Gull 1/1/2019 2 mob
Ring-billed Gull 1/1/2019 1 mob
Western Gull 1/1/2019 1 BPe, KONe
California Gull 1/1/2019 1 mob
Herring Gull 1/1/2019 1 mob
Iceland Gull 1/1/2019 3 GL, MJM
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2/19/2019 6 AMR
Slaty-backed Gull 6
Glaucous-winged Gull 1/1/2019 1 mob
Glaucous Gull 2/7/2019 4 DPe
Least Tern 7/28/2019 4 DAn, MJM, MMR
Gull-billed Tern 6
Caspian Tern 3/16/2019 2 MSh
Black Tern 5
Common Tern 8/5/2019 4 GL
Arctic Tern 6
Forster's Tern 1/1/2019 1 mob
Elegant Tern 5/1/2019 4 STr
Black Skimmer 1/1/2019 4 mob
Red-throated Loon 3/9/2019 4 BFo
Arctic Loon 6
Pacific Loon 5
Common Loon 6/1/2019 4 PDu
Yellow-billed Loon 6
Northern Fulmar 6
Sooty Shearwater 6
Ashy Storm-Petrel 6
Magnificent Frigatebird 6
Brown Booby 6
Brandt's Cormorant 6
Double-crested Cormorant 1/1/2019 1 mob
Pelagic Cormorant 9/4/2019 6 DWe,STr
American White Pelican 1/1/2019 2 mob
Brown Pelican 1/4/2019 3 mob
American Bittern 1/1/2019 4 mob
Least Bittern 6
Great Blue Heron 1/1/2019 1 mob
Great Egret 1/1/2019 1 mob
Snowy Egret 1/1/2019 1 mob
Little Blue Heron 5
Cattle Egret 5/6/2019 5 WGB
Green Heron 1/1/2019 3 mob
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1/1/2019 1 mob
Glossy Ibis 6
White-faced Ibis 5/6/2019 4 WGB
Turkey Vulture 1/1/2019 1 mob
California Condor 6
Osprey 1/1/2019 3 mob
White-tailed Kite 1/1/2019 2 mob
Bald Eagle 1/1/2019 4 STu, EMe
Northern Harrier 1/1/2019 2 mob
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1/1/2019 2 mob
Cooper's Hawk 1/1/2019 2 mob
Northern Goshawk 6
Red-shouldered Hawk 1/1/2019 2 mob
Broad-winged Hawk 6
Swainson's Hawk 4/4/2019 5 MJM
Zone-tailed Hawk 6
Red-tailed Hawk 1/1/2019 1 mob
Rough-legged Hawk 5
Ferruginous Hawk 1/1/2019 4 mob
Golden Eagle 1/1/2019 2 mob
Barn Owl 1/1/2019 2 STr, STu
Flammulated Owl 6
Western Screech-Owl 1/2/2019 1 mob
Great Horned Owl 1/1/2019 1 GL
Northern Pygmy-Owl 1/3/2019 3 JaL, WBr
Burrowing Owl 1/2/2019 3 mob
Long-eared Owl 4
Short-eared Owl 1/19/2019 4 BPe, KONe
Northern Saw-whet Owl 1/3/2019 3 JaL, WBr
Belted Kingfisher 1/1/2019 2 mob
Lewis's Woodpecker 1/2/2019 3 MtHamCBC
Acorn Woodpecker 1/1/2019 1 mob
Williamson's Sapsucker 6
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1/1/2019 5 SPe, STu
Red-naped Sapsucker 1/2/2019 5 mob
Red-breasted Sapsucker 1/1/2019 3 GRy, AV
Nuttall's Woodpecker 1/1/2019 1 mob
Downy Woodpecker 1/2/2019 2 mob
Hairy Woodpecker 1/1/2019 2 mob
Northern Flicker 1/1/2019 1 mob
Pileated Woodpecker 1/3/2019 4 JaL, WBr
Crested Caracara 6
American Kestrel 1/1/2019 1 mob
Merlin 1/1/2019 3 mob
Peregrine Falcon 1/1/2019 3 mob
Prairie Falcon 1/19/2019 4 BPe, KONe
Olive-sided Flycatcher 4/18/2019 3 STr
Western Wood-Pewee 4/17/2019 2 JPa
Willow Flycatcher 5/22/2019 4 BMo
Least Flycatcher 6
Hammond's Flycatcher 4/4/2019 5 BM, MDd
Gray Flycatcher 5
Dusky Flycatcher 5
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 2/6/2019 2 TGr
Black Phoebe 1/1/2019 2 mob
Eastern Phoebe 6
Say's Phoebe 1/1/2019 3 mob
Vermilion Flycatcher 7/23/2019 6 RAg
Ash-throated Flycatcher 4/3/2019 2 BM
Tropical Kingbird 10/12/2019 6 LM & LGBirdwatcher
Cassin's Kingbird 1/2/2019 5 BM
Western Kingbird 2/10/2019 2 MHau
Eastern Kingbird 6/9/2019 6 STu
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 6
Loggerhead Shrike 1/1/2019 2 mob
Northern Shrike 6
White-eyed Vireo 6
Bell's Vireo 6/5/2019 6 WGB
Hutton's Vireo 1/1/2019 2 DKa
Yellow-throated Vireo 6
Cassin's Vireo 3/29/2019 2 STr, MDd
Blue-headed Vireo 6
Plumbeous Vireo 11/4/2019 6 KGi
Philadelphia Vireo 6
Warbling Vireo 3/16/2019 2 PDu, HMcD
Red-eyed Vireo 7/13/2019 6 STu
Pinyon Jay 6
Steller's Jay 1/1/2019 1 mob
California Scrub-Jay 1/1/2019 1 mob
Clark's Nutcracker 6
Black-billed Magpie 6
Yellow-billed Magpie 1/1/2019 2 mob
American Crow 1/1/2019 1 mob
Common Raven 1/1/2019 2 mob
Horned Lark 1/5/2019 3 BPe, KONe
Purple Martin 4/18/2019 4 STr
Tree Swallow 1/1/2019 2 MJM
Violet-green Swallow 1/1/2019 1 MJM
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2/9/2019 2 MJM
Bank Swallow 4/18/2019 5 AMR
Cliff Swallow 3/3/2019 1 STu
Barn Swallow 1/5/2019 1 BPe, KONe
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1/1/2019 1 mob
Oak Titmouse 1/1/2019 1 mob
Bushtit 1/1/2019 1 mob
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1/2/2019 4 EG
White-breasted Nuthatch 1/1/2019 2 mob
Pygmy Nuthatch 1/1/2019 4 AK, JTom
Brown Creeper 1/1/2019 2 mob
Rock Wren 1/9/2019 4 mob
Canyon Wren 1/1/2019 4 MJM
House Wren 1/29/2019 2 PDu
Pacific Wren 1/12/2019 3 BTo, JCh
Marsh Wren 1/1/2019 2 mob
Bewick's Wren 1/1/2019 1 mob
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1/2/2019 2 BMa
American Dipper 1/9/2019 4 JP, BM
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3/11/2019 3 BM
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1/1/2019 1 mob
Arctic Warbler 6
Wrentit 1/1/2019 1 DC, SPa
Western Bluebird 1/1/2019 2 mob
Mountain Bluebird 6
Townsend's Solitaire 5/5/2019 5 DLSu
Swainson's Thrush 4/20/2019 2 SRot
Hermit Thrush 1/1/2019 1 mob
Wood Thrush 6
American Robin 1/1/2019 1 mob
Varied Thrush 1/2/2019 3 EG
Gray Catbird 6
Brown Thrasher 6
California Thrasher 1/1/2019 1 mob
Sage Thrasher 6
Northern Mockingbird 1/1/2019 1 mob
European Starling 1/1/2019 1 mob
Bohemian Waxwing 6
Cedar Waxwing 1/1/2019 1 mob
Phainopepla 1/1/2019 4 GRy, STr
House Sparrow 1/1/2019 1 mob
White Wagtail 6
Red-throated Pipit 6
American Pipit 1/1/2019 2 mob
Evening Grosbeak 10/13/2019 5 JP
House Finch 1/1/2019 1 mob
Purple Finch 1/1/2019 2 mob
Cassin's Finch 1/2/2019 6 MtHamCBC
Red Crossbill 11/10/2019 5 RGJ, MMR
Pine Siskin 1/7/2019 3 ASt
Lesser Goldfinch 1/1/2019 1 mob
Lawrence's Goldfinch 1/2/2019 3 MJM
American Goldfinch 1/1/2019 2 mob
Lapland Longspur 10/20/2019 6 CJo
Chestnut-collared Longspur 6
Snow Bunting 6
Green-tailed Towhee 4/24/2019 5 DOt
Spotted Towhee 1/1/2019 1 mob
Rufous-crowned Sparrow 1/1/2019 3 AV
California Towhee 1/1/2019 1 mob
American Tree Sparrow 11/18/2019 6 KONe, BPe
Chipping Sparrow 1/1/2019 3 GRy
Clay-colored Sparrow 9/21/2019 5 BM
Brewer's Sparrow 5
Black-chinned Sparrow 6/19/2019 4 BPe
Vesper Sparrow 10/19/2019 5 PDu
Lark Sparrow 1/1/2019 2 ViT
Black-throated Sparrow 6
Bell's Sparrow 1/2/2019 3 BMa
LeConte's Sparrow 6
Lark Bunting 6
Savannah Sparrow 1/1/2019 1 mob
Grasshopper Sparrow 1/25/2019 4 SPe
Nelson's Sparrow 5
Fox Sparrow 1/1/2019 2 mob
Song Sparrow 1/1/2019 1 mob
Lincoln's Sparrow 1/1/2019 2 mob
Swamp Sparrow 1/2/2019 5 MJM, MMr
White-throated Sparrow 1/1/2019 4 mob
Harris's Sparrow 6
White-crowned Sparrow 1/1/2019 1 mob
Golden-crowned Sparrow 1/1/2019 1 mob
Dark-eyed Junco 1/1/2019 1 mob
Yellow-breasted Chat 4/26/2019 5 OA
Yellow-headed Blackbird 4/23/2019 5 AMR
Bobolink 6
Western Meadowlark 1/1/2019 1 mob
Orchard Oriole 6
Hooded Oriole 3/15/2019 3 WSJY
Bullock's Oriole 1/19/2019 1 JP
Baltimore Oriole 6
Scott's Oriole 6
Red-winged Blackbird 1/1/2019 1 mob
Tricolored Blackbird 1/2/2019 3 mob
Brown-headed Cowbird 1/2/2019 2 MtHamCBC
Rusty Blackbird 6
Brewer's Blackbird 1/1/2019 1 mob
Great-tailed Grackle 1/1/2019 4 mob
Ovenbird 6
Worm-eating Warbler 6
Louisiana Waterthrush 6
Northern Waterthrush 5
Black-and-white Warbler 5
Prothonotary Warbler 6
Tennessee Warbler 10/3/2019 6 STu
Orange-crowned Warbler 1/1/2019 1 STr
Lucy's Warbler 6
Nashville Warbler 4/18/2019 4 EMe
Virginia's Warbler 6
Connecticut Warbler 6
MacGillivray's Warbler 4/11/2019 4 MJM
Chestnut-sided Warbler 6/12/2019 6 RGJ
Kentucky Warbler 6
Common Yellowthroat 1/1/2019 2 mob
Hooded Warbler 6/10/2019 6 JGl
American Redstart 5
Cape May Warbler 6
Northern Parula 6
Magnolia Warbler 6
Blackburnian Warbler 6
Yellow Warbler 1/7/2019 1 PDu
Blackpoll Warbler 9/12/2019 5 STr
Black-throated Blue Warbler 6
Palm Warbler 1/3/2019 5 GL
Pine Warbler 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1/1/2019 1 mob
Prairie Warbler 6
Black-throated Gray Warbler 3/25/2019 3 GHa
Townsend's Warbler 1/1/2019 2 mob
Hermit Warbler 3/1/2019 4 STr
Black-throated Green Warbler 6
Canada Warbler 6
Wilson's Warbler 3/16/2019 1 STu
Summer Tanager 1/1/2019 5 MFa, KPa
Scarlet Tanager 6
Western Tanager 1/1/2019 3 AK
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5/29/2019 5 JaJ
Black-headed Grosbeak 1/2/2019 1 JaJ
Blue Grosbeak 4/27/2019 4 GRy
Lazuli Bunting 4/7/2019 2 CJo
Indigo Bunting 6/1/2019 5 JCho, SPv, JRo
Painted Bunting 9/16/2019 6 PKe
Dickcissel 6

Observer Codes*

  • ABu=Adam Burnett, AHe=Ann Hep, AHo=Anne Hoff, AK=Alexander Koonce, ARa=Ananth Ramaswamy, AMR=Alex Rinkert, ASt=Andy Stocker, AV=Ann Verdi

  • BFo=Bob Foehring, BMa=Bruce Mast, BM=Brooke Miller, BMo=Bryan Mori, BPe=Bill Pelletier, BTo=Bob Toleno

  • CBe=Cynthia Berg, CJo=Chris Johnson

  • Dan=Dorian Anderson, DaB=Dan Brown, DBu=Daniel Bump, DC=Deborah Chase, DCh=Dani Christensen, DKa=Dan Kadra, DN=David Nickerson, Dot=Debbie Ottman, DPe=Don Pendleton, DLSu=David Suddjian, DWe=Dave Weber, DWen=Dan Wenny, DZ=David Zittin

  • EG=Elinor Gates, EMe=Eve Meier, ER=Edward Rooks

  • FV=Frank Vanslager

  • GHa=Garth Harwood, GL=Garrett Lau, GRy=Gordon Rydquist, GZ=Gena Zolotar

  • HMcD=Hugh McDevitt

  • JCh=Juli Chamberlain, JCho=Jason Chou, JGl=Jake Glassman, JaJ=Jane Jordan, JaL=Jasen Liu, JMy=Jean Myers, JPa=Janna Pauser, JRo=John Rodgers, JSta=Joshua Stacy, JTom=Jack Tomlin, JVa=Jason Vassallo, JY=Jim Yurchenco

  • KBu=Karen Burnson, KDe=Karen DeMello, KGi=Kevin Gin, KHo=Kirsten Holmquist, KONe=Kitty O'Neill, KPa=Kathy Parker, KSc=Ken Schneider

  • LMa=Larry Maurin, LM=Lisa Myers

  • MDd=Matthew Dodder, MFa=Marion Farber, MHau=Megan Hausler, MHawk=Michael Hawk, MJM=Mike Mammoser, MMi=Marilee Mifflin, MPy=Michael Pyle, MMR=Mike Rogers, MSh=Mike Shafto, MtHamiltonCBC

  • NAr=Noah Arthur, NGo=Naomi Goodman, NLv=Nick Levendosky

  • OA=Ozzie Altus

  • PBag=Patrick Baglee, PDu=Pete Dunten, PKe=Pat Kenny, Ply=Patricia Lynch, PW=Pingang Wang

  • Rag=Robin Agarwal, RGJ=Richard Jeffers, RPh=Ryan Phillips, RWR=Bob Reiling

  • Spa=Steve Patt, SPv=Sergey Pavlov, SPe=Sergio Perez, SRot=Steve Rottenborn, STe=Scott Terrill, STr-Steve Tracey, STu=Steve Tucker

  • TGr=Tom Grey

  • VKa=Vivek Khanzode, ViT=Vivek Tiwari

  • WGB=Bill Bousman, WBr=Will Brooks, WLa=William Lawton, WSJY=West San Jose Yard

Rarity Codes**

1 = common, always seen in habitat in season.
2 = fairly common, usually in habitat in season, but missed sometimes.
3 = uncommon, always around, but sometimes you can't find.
4 = rare, occurs yearly in the county, but not always in same places.
5 = very rare, does not occur every year.
6 = casual or vagrant, generally fewer than 10 records.