Birding Tips & FAQs

Bird early in the day.

Birds are most active early to mid morning. Come early in the day for the most activity.

Bird behavior can vary seasonally.

In the spring and summer, birds are tending to nests, eggs, and young. They will intentionally camouflage in vegetation and stay still to avoid predators. Once chicks can fly, they will continue to care for their young throughout the nesting season.

In the spring and fall some birds are also migrating as they move between nesting and wintering sites. You might notice bird species sightings change during that time.

How do you take care of the birds at the ENC?

We protect and restore native habitat that is critical for bird survival.

Want more birds?

Check eBird for the most up to date checklists!

Observations from October 14:

Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) 5
Allen’s Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) 8
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) 5 In adjacent field
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 3 In adjacent field
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) 1
gull sp. (Larinae sp.) 5
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) 1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 1
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) 3
Cassin’s Kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans) 4
Hutton’s Vireo (Vireo huttoni) 1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 22
Common Raven (Corvus corax) 1
Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) 6
Swinhoe’s White-eye (Zosterops simplex) 26
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 2
Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 3
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 7
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) 1
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) 2
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens) 1
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 9
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) 4
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 4
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) 4
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 5
Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) 1
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) 3
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 4
Orange-crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata) 5
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 21
Wilson’s Warbler (Cardellina pusilla) 1

Want to see birds at home?

Bring birds to your home today by growing native plants. With Audubon’s Native Plant Database, you can find the best plants for the birds in your area. Growing bird-friendly plants will attract and protect the birds you love while making your space beautiful, easy to care for, and better for the environment. Explore Audubon’s native plant resources here, including factsheets on creating a native plant garden and how it can save you money.