U.S. Hometown Boreal Bird Species Lists

U.S. Cities Birding Lists

The United States is a boreal bird's home away from home, with an estimated 1.5 billion boreal birds wintering in the U.S. each year. More boreal bird species winter in the U.S. Lower 48 than in any other country or region. Furthermore, the entire wintering population of several boreal bird species occurs only within the U.S. In almost half the states (23), the official bird is a boreal bird.

Select a city to see which species near you breed in the boreal forest.

Choose a U.S. city near you:

Boreal Birds of the Los Angeles Area

When you think of LA do you think of vast cool spruce forests and muskeg bogs? You might not, but there are at least 60 species of birds wintering near or migrating through LA every year that have such places on their minds.

The lonely wail of a Common Loon echoing across a boreal lake is surely a symbol of the boreal wilderness but did you know that the species winters along the coast of California including the coastal regions of LA? Places like Point Vicente and Point Fermin are good places to watch for them. Thick-bodied seaducks like the boreal breeding Surf and White-winged Scoters that dive for clams and mussels in the waves and bays of Newport Beach during the winter have declined by 60% over the last 25 years.

The Golden-crowned Sparrow that arrives at your backyard feeder every October may have whistled its clear song from a territory deep in the heart of the Canada's Yukon throughout the summer.

Some species that raised young in the boreal forest have stopped off to feed in the LA region on their way to wintering grounds in Central and South America. For example, a Cliff Swallow winging south in September may have departed Canada in August and be in Peru by November.

Gull-like Birds
Species	Fall	Winter	Spring
Bonaparte's Gull	Fall	Winter	Spring
California Gull	Fall	Winter	Spring
Common Tern	Fall		Spring
Herring Gull	Fall	Winter	Spring
Mew Gull	Fall	Winter	Spring

Hawk-like Birds
Species	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Bald Eagle	Fall	Winter	Spring
Golden Eagle	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Merlin	Fall	Winter	Spring
Northern Harrier	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Osprey	Fall	Winter	Spring
Sharp-shinned Hawk	Fall	Winter	Spring

Owls
Species	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Short-eared Owl	Fall	Winter	Spring

Perching Birds
Species	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
American Robin	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Belted Kingfisher	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Chipping Sparrow	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Dark-eyed Junco	Fall	Winter	Spring
Golden-crowned Kinglet	Fall	Winter	Spring
Golden-crowned Sparrow	Fall	Winter	Spring
Hermit Thrush	Fall	Winter	Spring
Lincoln's Sparrow	Fall	Winter	Spring
Palm Warbler	Fall	Winter	Spring
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	Fall	Winter	Spring
Savannah Sparrow	Fall	Winter	Spring
White-crowned Sparrow	Fall	Winter	Spring
Winter Wren	Fall	Winter	Spring
Yellow Warbler	Fall		Spring	Summer

Tree-clinging Birds
Species	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Northern Flicker	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Red-breasted Nuthatch	Fall	Winter	Spring

Duck-like Birds
Species	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
American Wigeon	Fall	Winter	Spring
Black Scoter	Fall	Winter	Spring
Blue-winged Teal	Fall	Winter	Spring
Bufflehead	Fall	Winter	Spring
Canada Goose	Fall	Winter	Spring
Canvasback	Fall	Winter	Spring
Common Goldeneye	Fall	Winter	Spring
Common Loon	Fall	Winter	Spring
Common Merganser	Fall	Winter	Spring
Greater Scaup	Fall	Winter	Spring
Green-winged Teal	Fall	Winter	Spring
Horned Grebe	Fall	Winter	Spring
Lesser Scaup	Fall	Winter	Spring
Mallard	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Northern Pintail	Fall	Winter	Spring
Northern Shoveler	Fall	Winter	Spring
Pacific Loon	Fall	Winter	Spring
Pied-billed Grebe	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Red-breasted Merganser	Fall	Winter	Spring
Red-throated Loon	Fall	Winter	Spring
Redhead	Fall	Winter	Spring
Ring-necked Duck	Fall	Winter	Spring
Surf Scoter	Fall	Winter	Spring
White-winged Scoter	Fall	Winter	Spring

Sandpiper-like Birds
Species	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Greater Yellowlegs	Fall	Winter	Spring
Killdeer	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Least Sandpiper	Fall	Winter	Spring
Lesser Yellowlegs	Fall		Spring
Marbled Godwit	Fall	Winter	Spring
Short-billed Dowitcher	Fall	Winter	Spring
Spotted Sandpiper	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Wilson's Snipe	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer