Golden State Bird Bingo
Summer plans? Sunshine, salt air, and a whole lot of birdwatching. This year, I’m heading to California — land of surfers, sea lions, and some of the most charming water birds I’ve ever added (or hope to add!) to my life list.
Whether they’re strutting on sandy shores or gliding silently across sunlit marshes, California’s aquatic avians are basically the A-listers of the bird world. Move over, Hollywood — these feathered stars are ready for their close-up.
Here’s my dream lineup of water birds I hope to spot while dipping my toes in the Pacific and peering through binoculars with a very serious face:
1. The California Brown Pelican — Pelicanus occidentalis californicus
Let’s start with the icon. With their oversized bills and impressive dive-bombing skills, these birds are the stunt doubles of the coastline. Watching a brown pelican fold its wings and torpedo into the ocean is like seeing a prehistoric missile in action. Bonus points if I catch them doing their weird head-throw back laugh.
2. The Snowy Plover — Charadrius nivosus
Tiny. Round. Endangered. And basically the cutest thing on the beach besides a corgi in sunglasses. These little guys nest in open sandy areas, so I’ll be treading lightly and scanning carefully. If I spot a fluffy chick, I may cry (quietly, so I don’t scare it off).
3. The American Avocet — Recurvirostra americana
Picture a supermodel wading through a shallow lagoon — that’s the American Avocet. Tall, elegant, with a dramatically upturned bill and black-and-white wings that flash in flight. I’ve seen them in books, now I want to see them strutting their stuff in the wild wetlands.
4. The Elegant Tern — Thalasseus elegans
First of all: great name. Second: even greater hair. These terns rock a punky little black crest and have a shrill, excited call, like they’ve just heard the best gossip. They breed in huge, noisy colonies along the Southern California coast, and I’ll be scanning the skies for a flash of that dagger-orange bill.
5. The Black-crowned Night Heron — Nycticorax nycticorax
Yes, they’re a bit goth. Yes, they look permanently grumpy. But I love them anyway. These squat, stocky herons are most active at dusk, haunting the edges of estuaries like avian detectives on a stakeout. I hope to spot one lurking mysteriously beneath the reeds.
6. The Cinnamon Teal — Spatula cyanoptera
A duck with flair. Males are a rich, spicy red-brown with striking red eyes — basically the George Clooney of dabbling ducks. These beauties hang out in shallow freshwater habitats, and I will be scanning every marsh for a flash of that cinnamon glow.
Final Thoughts
I’m bringing my binoculars, bird ID app, and probably more snacks than I’ll admit to. Here’s hoping California’s feathered residents are feeling cooperative this summer. I’ll be ready with my sunhat, my sketchbook, and my best David Attenborough whisper.
If I spot all six? Ice cream. If I don’t? Still ice cream — but maybe with a side of determination to come back in the future.
Have you birded California? Got any water bird tips (or tales of pelican drama)? Let me know!
