I often talk about the most common birds that anyone can see around the neighborhood on any day of the week. Many serious birders, in contrast, live for the rarities, the uncommon and exciting. But there is also an intermediate category of birds that is easily overlooked: the birds that are not “everyday” birds, but that are easy enough to find with just a little focused looking. There are many such birds that are attention-grabbing and that you’ve probably never seen, but that you can decide to see right here in Marin this week.
Take the raptors, for instance, a group that often sparks excitement from even the most casually bird-interested people. When was the last time you saw a bald eagle? This national icon with a 7-foot wingspan is present in Marin year-round: Visit winter sites of congregating waterfowl like Stafford Lake, the Hamilton Wetlands or Bolinas Lagoon to catch sight of one. How about a peregrine falcon, the fastest creature on Earth? They are likewise found near wetlands and coastlines, often pursuing shorebirds and a variety of other prey. Other raptors are even easier to find: American kestrels, northern harriers and white-tailed kites are three more striking species I recommend you to look up and search out.
A similar perspective can be brought to bear on many groups of birds: The Bay Area is home to dozens of species that I think would catch the attention of even the generally bird-uncurious were they to suddenly appear before their eyes. But how do you find them? The traditional way to learn new places and new birds is to join a free public bird walk. Look at the upcoming schedules from groups like Marin County Parks, Marin Audubon or Madrone Audubon (in Sonoma).
Today, however, we have a powerful tool that anyone can use to find the birds that pique their curiosity: eBird. eBird is a website and app hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that is widely used by birders to report their sightings. You can look up your favorite local park, a seasonal chart of all the birds that occur in Marin County or a specific species that you’d like to see. Type in “bald eagle,” “wood duck” or “belted kingfisher” and watch the little flags pop up all over the map showing historical and recent sightings. Then, go find that bird you’ve never seen!
So, what else might you search for? Maybe you’d like to see a black oystercatcher, an extravagant chicken-sized shorebird that is pitch-black except for a long blood-red bill and staring yellow eyes: Look for them along the rocky shoreline of the bay, such as at San Rafael’s Loch Lomond Marina and nearby public shorelines. Or go to more vegetated wetlands areas, such as San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Ponds or Novato’s Pacheco Pond, to find a Wilson’s snipe, a famously cryptic bird (“snipers” must be sharp-eyed to find their quarry; a true “snipe hunt” is difficult but far from impossible). Birds don’t even need to be particularly rare to be exciting. If you’ve never looked at shorebirds before, try looking up a long-billed curlew. This is not at all an uncommon bird on tidal mudflats around Marin, but it is an extravagant and striking creature, with a nearly 7-inch curving bill.
Water is often the place for birds beyond what we normally see around the neighborhood. Search for a fantastic duck like the wood duck or hooded merganser. Cartoonishly colorful and big-headed belted kingfishers hunt from posts or overhanging tree branches. Or maybe it’s a good day to take a closer look at white pelicans — no bird in Marin has a wider wingspan, not even eagles.
I could easily keep going. The forest has giant pileated woodpeckers, brilliant golden-crowned kinglets and mysteriously chiming varied thrushes. The neighborhood hosts northern flickers with wings of flashing red and cedar waxwings bearing black masks and spiky crests, yellow on their tails and red upon their shoulders. Everywhere are birds that most people never see. But it has never been easier to find them and add something new to your life. Creatures extravagant and strange, alien and wild, are living here among us.
Jack Gedney’s On the Wing runs every other Monday. He is a co-owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Novato and author of “The Private Lives of Public Birds.” You can reach him at jack@natureinnovato.com.
