Santa Clara County Bird List 2023

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 2023 or view all the cumulative year lists.

Discussion for December 2023

Happy New Year’s Santa Clara County Birders!

We had no new birds for the month of December. The County’s 2023 end of year total is 292. The average at the end of the year is 287. Thank you to everyone who birded, and took the time to report birds either on SBB, eBird, or send emails directly to me.

My monthly reports are made up of eBird sightings, postings on south-bay-birds, and direct emails. The monthly cumulative lists are archived on the SCVAS website at https://scvas.org/sc-county-cumulative-year-lists. Please post all your sightings to: south-bay-birds@groups.io or to www.ebird.org .

Please contact me if you find errors or omissions, or have questions or comments.

Brooke Miller

Birds observed through December 2023

Bird Name 2023 date RARITY CODE OBSERVER
Fulvous Whistling-Duck 6
Snow Goose 1/1/2023 4 NGo, MDd
Ross's Goose 1/3/2023 4 M-LL
Greater White-fronted Goose 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Brant 5
Cackling Goose 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Canada Goose 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Tundra Swan 5
Wood Duck 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Garganey 6
Blue-winged Teal 1/1/2023 4 ScSm, HF
Cinnamon Teal 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Northern Shoveler 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Gadwall 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Eurasian Wigeon 1/3/2023 3 GL
American Wigeon 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Mallard 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Northern Pintail 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Green-winged Teal 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Canvasback 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Redhead 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Ring-necked Duck 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Tufted Duck 5
Greater Scaup 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Lesser Scaup 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Surf Scoter 1/1/2023 2 MOb
White-winged Scoter 4/3/2023 5 ESc, WLa
Black Scoter 6
Long-tailed Duck 3/7/2023 5 DWe
Bufflehead 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Common Goldeneye 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Barrow's Goldeneye 1/7/2023 4 SRot
Hooded Merganser 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Common Merganser 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Red-breasted Merganser 1/7/2023 2 KPi
Ruddy Duck 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Mountain Quail 6
California Quail 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Wild Turkey 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Ring-necked Pheasant 1/8/2023 4 ABa
Pied-billed Grebe 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Horned Grebe 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Red-necked Grebe 5
Eared Grebe 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Western Grebe 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Clark's Grebe 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Rock Pigeon 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Band-tailed Pigeon 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Oriental Turtle-Dove 6
Eurasian Collared-Dove 1/1/2023 2 MOb
White-winged Dove 9/22/2023 6 SRot
Mourning Dove 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Greater Roadrunner 1/17/2023 4 LSu, MJM
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 6
Lesser Nighthawk 6
Common Nighthawk 6/17/2023 6 MDd
Common Poorwill 4/1/2023 3 CU
Black Swift 4
Chimney Swift 6
Vaux's Swift 3/23/2023 3 AV
White-throated Swift 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Black-chinned Hummingbird 3/29/2023 3 BM
Anna's Hummingbird 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Costa's Hummingbird 5
Calliope Hummingbird 4
Rufous Hummingbird 3/5/2023 3 DCh, LCo, EFi, TG
Allen's Hummingbird 1/22/2023 3 MHawk
Broad-tailed Hummingbird 6
Ridgway's Rail 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Virginia Rail 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Sora 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Common Gallinule 1/1/2023 2 MOb
American Coot 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Yellow Rail 6
Black Rail 1/1/2023 5 Sensitive species
Sandhill Crane 6
Black-necked Stilt 1/1/2023 1 MOb
American Avocet 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Black Oystercatcher 6
Black-bellied Plover 1/3/2023 1 MOb
American Golden-Plover 5
Pacific Golden-Plover 9/24/2023 5 RGJ, MJM, MMR
Snowy Plover 1/26/2023 4 GL
Semipalmated Plover 1/6/2023 2 TS
Killdeer 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Mountain Plover 6
Whimbrel 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Long-billed Curlew 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Bar-tailed Godwit 6
Hudsonian Godwit 6
Marbled Godwit 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Ruddy Turnstone 4/29/2023 5 BM
Black Turnstone 4/15/2023 6 ABu, SWe
Red Knot 4/20/2023 4 GL
Ruff 1/24/2023 5 DSi
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 6
Stilt Sandpiper 5
Curlew Sandpiper 1/1/2023 6 GL, JMD
Sanderling 1/1/2023 4 PDu
Dunlin 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Baird's Sandpiper 8/19/2023 4 MAm
Little Stint 6
Least Sandpiper 1/1/2023 1 MOb
White-rumped Sandpiper 6
Buff-breasted Sandpiper 6
Pectoral Sandpiper 4/27/2023 4 RNi, WBe, CTa
Semipalmated Sandpiper 8/11/2023 4 GL
Western Sandpiper 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Short-billed Dowitcher 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Long-billed Dowitcher 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Wilson's Snipe 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Wilson's Phalarope 4/2/2023 2 PDu
Red-necked Phalarope 4/23/2023 2 PDu
Red Phalarope 1/3/2023 5 MOb
Spotted Sandpiper 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Solitary Sandpiper 4/25/2023 5 WGB
Wandering Tattler 6
Greater Yellowlegs 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Willet 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Lesser Yellowlegs 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Pomarine Jaeger 6
Parasitic Jaeger 10/29/2023 5 RGJ, MJM, MMR
Long-tailed Jaeger 6
Common Murre 3/8/2023 5 BW
Pigeon Guillemot 6
Ancient Murrelet 6
Cassin's Auklet 6
Black-legged Kittiwake 6
Sabine's Gull 9/15/2023 5 Anon
Bonaparte's Gull 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Black-headed Gull 6
Little Gull 6
Laughing Gull 6
Franklin's Gull 9/24/2023 5 RGJ, MMR
Heermann's Gull 6
Short-billed Gull 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Ring-billed Gull 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Western Gull 1/1/2023 1 MOb
California Gull 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Herring Gull 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Iceland Gull 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1/22/2023 5 APa
Slaty-backed Gull 6
Glaucous-winged Gull 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Glaucous Gull 1/20/2023 4 GL, TG
Least Tern 5/21/2023 4 MDd
Gull-billed Tern 6
Caspian Tern 3/23/2023 2 MDd
Black Tern 5/13/2023 5 COv
Common Tern 9/17/2023 4 MDd
Arctic Tern 6
Forster's Tern 1/1/2023 1 MBarn, Anon
Elegant Tern 5/29/2023 3 RGJ, MJM
Black Skimmer 1/1/2023 3 Anon
Red-throated Loon 1/15/2023 4 SRot
Arctic Loon 6
Pacific Loon 5
Common Loon 3/4/2023 4 ABu
Yellow-billed Loon 6
Ashy Storm-Petrel 6
Northern Fulmar 6
Sooty Shearwater 6
Magnificent Frigatebird 6
Nazca Booby 6
Brown Booby 6
Brandt's Cormorant 6
Pelagic Cormorant 9/27/2023 6 CaT
Double-crested Cormorant 1/1/2023 1 MOb
American White Pelican 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Brown Pelican 1/14/2023 2 JK
American Bittern 1/1/2023 4 JSch
Least Bittern 6
Great Blue Heron 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Great Egret 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Snowy Egret 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Little Blue Heron 6
Cattle Egret 5
Green Heron 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Glossy Ibis 6
White-faced Ibis 4/29/2023 4 BM
California Condor 4/25/2023 6 MIk, SKe
Turkey Vulture 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Osprey 1/1/2023 3 JTi, MWo
White-tailed Kite 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Golden Eagle 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Northern Harrier 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Cooper's Hawk 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Northern Goshawk 6
Bald Eagle 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Red-shouldered Hawk 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Broad-winged Hawk 6
Swainson's Hawk 3/30/2023 4 GL
Zone-tailed Hawk 6
Red-tailed Hawk 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Rough-legged Hawk 5
Ferruginous Hawk 1/2/2023 4 MOb
Barn Owl 1/3/2023 2 MOb
Flammulated Owl 6
Western Screech-Owl 1/3/2023 2 ScSm
Great Horned Owl 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Northern Pygmy-Owl 1/12/2023 3 JHol
Burrowing Owl 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Long-eared Owl 4
Short-eared Owl 1/16/2023 4 GL
Northern Saw-whet Owl 1/3/2023 3 CMe
Belted Kingfisher 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Williamson's Sapsucker 2/1/2023 6 JPa
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1/13/2023 5 ABu
Red-naped Sapsucker 1/7/2023 5 ADu
Red-breasted Sapsucker 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Lewis's Woodpecker 1/1/2023 4 JTi
Acorn Woodpecker 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Downy Woodpecker 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Nuttall's Woodpecker 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Hairy Woodpecker 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Pileated Woodpecker 1/1/2023 4 DN, BBi
Northern Flicker 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Crested Caracara 6
American Kestrel 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Merlin 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Peregrine Falcon 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Prairie Falcon 1/8/2023 4 APe
Mitred Parakeet 1/3/2023 3 BStr
Olive-sided Flycatcher 4/15/2023 3 LMu
Western Wood-Pewee 4/11/2023 2 ABW, SJB
Willow Flycatcher 8/20/2023 4 RPe
Least Flycatcher 6
Hammond's Flycatcher 1/3/2023 4 CMG
Gray Flycatcher 5
Dusky Flycatcher 5
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 3/24/2023 1 PLat
Black Phoebe 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Eastern Phoebe 6
Say's Phoebe 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Vermilion Flycatcher 4/3/2023 6 HF
Ash-throated Flycatcher 4/2/2023 2 CJo
Tropical Kingbird 1/2/2023 6 MTh
Cassin's Kingbird 2/25/2023 4 TG
Thick-billed Kingbird 6
Western Kingbird 3/18/2023 2 MDd, LFr
Eastern Kingbird 8/20/2023 6 BM
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 6
White-eyed Vireo 6
Bell's Vireo 6
Hutton's Vireo 1/1/2023 2 SRot, ZW
Yellow-throated Vireo 6
Cassin's Vireo 3/11/2023 2 BM
Blue-headed Vireo 6
Plumbeous Vireo 6
Philadelphia Vireo 6
Warbling Vireo 3/16/2023 2 LLe
Red-eyed Vireo 6
Loggerhead Shrike 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Northern Shrike 6
Pinyon Jay 6
Steller's Jay 1/1/2023 1 MOb
California Scrub-Jay 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Black-billed Magpie 6
Yellow-billed Magpie 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Clark's Nutcracker 6
American Crow 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Common Raven 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Oak Titmouse 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Horned Lark 1/17/2023 3 CMe
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1/22/2023 2 GL, DWe
Purple Martin 4/3/2023 4 SPv
Tree Swallow 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Violet-green Swallow 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Bank Swallow 8/23/2023 5 GL
Barn Swallow 1/3/2023 1 HF
Cliff Swallow 3/8/2023 1 GL, ZW, Anon
Dusky Warbler 10/6/2023 6 SPv
Arctic Warbler 6
Bushtit 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Wrentit 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1/1/2023 4 MOb
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1/8/2023 3 MSh, JZi
White-breasted Nuthatch 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Pygmy Nuthatch 1/1/2023 4 MOb
Brown Creeper 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3/18/2023 2 JTa
Rock Wren 1/3/2023 3 JTi
Canyon Wren 1/17/2023 4 LSu, MJM
House Wren 1/30/2023 2 EMe
Pacific Wren 1/17/2023 3 GL
Marsh Wren 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Bewick's Wren 1/1/2023 1 MOb
American Dipper 1/15/2023 4 SChr
European Starling 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Gray Catbird 6
Brown Thrasher 6
California Thrasher 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Sage Thrasher 1/2/2023 6 Anon
Northern Mockingbird 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Western Bluebird 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Mountain Bluebird 11/11/2023 6 LT
Townsend's Solitaire 1/8/2023 5 MHo
Varied Thrush 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Swainson's Thrush 4/27/2023 2 CMe
Hermit Thrush 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Wood Thrush 6
American Robin 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Bohemian Waxwing 6
Cedar Waxwing 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Phainopepla 1/1/2023 4 MOb
House Sparrow 1/1/2023 1 MOb
White Wagtail 6
Red-throated Pipit 6
American Pipit 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Evening Grosbeak 5
Gray-crowned Rosy Finch 11/8/2023 6 SAb
House Finch 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Purple Finch 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Cassin's Finch 6
Red Crossbill 10/30/2023 5 MJM
Pine Siskin 1/9/2023 3 COv
Lesser Goldfinch 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Lawrence's Goldfinch 1/2/2023 3 MOb
American Goldfinch 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Lapland Longspur 10/23/2023 6 OA
Chestnut-collared Longspur 10/23/2023 6 OA
Snow Bunting 6
Grasshopper Sparrow 2/9/2023 3 CMG
Chipping Sparrow 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Clay-colored Sparrow 4/4/2023 5 HA
Black-chinned Sparrow 4/28/2023 4 AF, BM, SPv
Brewer's Sparrow 5
Black-throated Sparrow 6
Lark Sparrow 1/1/2023 2 JPa, Anon
Lark Bunting 9/7/2023 6 JGu, MGa
American Tree Sparrow 6
Fox Sparrow 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Dark-eyed Junco 1/1/2023 1 MOb
White-crowned Sparrow 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Golden-crowned Sparrow 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Harris's Sparrow 6
White-throated Sparrow 1/1/2023 4 MOb
Bell's Sparrow 1/2/2023 4 BW
Vesper Sparrow 5
LeConte's Sparrow 6
Nelson's Sparrow 5
Savannah Sparrow 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Song Sparrow 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Lincoln's Sparrow 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Swamp Sparrow 1/1/2023 4 GL, TG
California Towhee 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Rufous-crowned Sparrow 1/3/2023 3 JTi
Green-tailed Towhee 5
Spotted Towhee 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Yellow-breasted Chat 4/26/2023 4 JaE
Yellow-headed Blackbird 4/30/2023 5 FV
Bobolink 6
Western Meadowlark 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Orchard Oriole 6
Hooded Oriole 2/13/2023 2 WGB
Bullock's Oriole 1/5/2023 1 Anon
Baltimore Oriole 6
Scott's Oriole 6
Red-winged Blackbird 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Tricolored Blackbird 1/1/2023 3 LSu
Brown-headed Cowbird 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Rusty Blackbird 10/14/2023 6 SPv
Brewer's Blackbird 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Great-tailed Grackle 1/1/2023 3 MOb
Ovenbird 6
Worm-eating Warbler 6
Louisiana Waterthrush 6
Northern Waterthrush 9/15/2023 5 MBar
Black-and-white Warbler 2/7/2023 5 TY
Prothonotary Warbler 6
Tennessee Warbler 1/24/2023 6 TY
Orange-crowned Warbler 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Lucy's Warbler 6
Nashville Warbler 4/1/2023 4 Anon
Virginia's Warbler 9/27/2023 6 CJo
Connecticut Warbler 6
MacGillivray's Warbler 3/30/2023 4 MJM
Kentucky Warbler 6
Common Yellowthroat 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Hooded Warbler 6
American Redstart 5
Cape May Warbler 6
Northern Parula 6/23/2023 5 RGJ
Magnolia Warbler 6
Bay-breasted Warbler 6
Blackburnian Warbler 6
Yellow Warbler 1/12/2023 1 DL
Chestnut-sided Warbler 9/18/2023 6 BM
Blackpoll Warbler 9/16/2023 5 GL
Black-throated Blue Warbler 6
Palm Warbler 9/29/2023 5 JMu, RPh
Pine Warbler 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1/1/2023 1 MOb
Prairie Warbler 6
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1/16/2023 3 TS
Townsend's Warbler 1/1/2023 2 MOb
Hermit Warbler 4/13/2023 3 BM
Black-throated Green Warbler 6
Canada Warbler 6
Wilson's Warbler 3/19/2023 1 CMo
Painted Redstart 1/1/2023 6 MOb
Summer Tanager 1/1/2023 5 GL
Scarlet Tanager 6
Western Tanager 1/1/2023 2 GL
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5
Black-headed Grosbeak 3/30/2023 1 JMD, DZ
Blue Grosbeak 5/5/2023 4 AA, MBl, TMc
Lazuli Bunting 4/13/2023 2 GL
Indigo Bunting 5/21/2023 5 JPa
Painted Bunting 9/6/2023 6 AMe, SRay, and group
Dickcissel 6
NOT ABA Countable:
Mute Swan 1/24/2023 JDe
Egyptian Goose
Mandarin Duck
African Collared-Dove
Nanday Parakeet
Red-masked Parakeet
Northern Red Bishop
Scaly-breasted Munia 1/1/2023 MOb
Orange-cheeked Waxbill
European Goldfinch
Yellow-crowned Parrot
Red-whiskered Bulbul 4/21/2023 WGB

Observer Codes*

Abbreviation Name
Anon Anonymous
MOb Multiple Observers
AA Anne Ardillo
ABa Andrew Bradshaw
ABu Adam Burnett
ABW A BW
ADu Alex Dunn
AF Abram Fleishman
AMel Andrew Melnick
APa Adam Panto
APe Andy Pedler
AV Ann Verdi
BBi Biter Bilen
BM Brooke Miller
BStr Bob Strobe
BW Bill Walker
CMG C Mario Gonzalez
CJo Chris Johnson
CMe Carlos Mendoza
CMo Cameron Montgomery
COv Chris Overington
CTa Christina Tarr
CaT Cameron Tescher
Cu Colin Urmson
DCh Dani Christensen
DL Dallas Levey
DN David Nickerson
DSi Dessi Sieburth
DWe Dave Weber
DZ Dave Zittin
EFi Erin Fisher-Colton
EMe Eve Meier
ESc Elena Scott
FV Frank Vanslager
GL Garrett Lau
HA Heather Anderson
HF Howard Friedman
JDe Jim Dehnert
JaE Janet Ellis
JGu Jose Guerra
JHol Jim Holmes
JK Jared Keyes
JMu Julio Mulero
JPa Janna Pauser
JSch John Scharpen
JTa Julian Tattoni
JTi Joan Tisdale
JZi Joe Zimmerman
KPi Karen Pinckard
LCo Laura Coatney
LFr Liz Frith
LLe Lynda Lewit
LMu Liam Murphy
LSu Linda Sullivan
LT Linda Terrill
MAm Mike Ambrose
MBar Melanie Barnett
MBl Marc Blumberg
JMD Mike Danzenbaker
MDd Matthew Dodder
MGa Marc Galvez
MHawk Michael Hawk
MHo Marcel Holyoak
MIk Marti Ikehara
M-LL My-Lan Le
MJM Mike Mammoser
MMR Mike Rogers
MSh Mike Shafto
MTh Michelle Thurber
MWo Matthew Wong
NGo Naomi Goodman
NMa Nateri Madavan
OA Ozzie Altus
PDu Pete Dunten
PLat Peter LaTourrette
RGJ Richard Jeffers
RNi Rich Nicholson
RPe Russ Pettit
RPh Ryan Phillips
SJB SJ Birder
SAb Sabra Abraham
SChr Sophia Christel
SKe Sharon Kersten
SPv Sergey Pavlov
SRay Sheila Raymond
SRot Steve Rottenborn
ScSm Scott Smith
SWe Susan Weinstein
TG Tricia Gardner
TMc Tara McIntire
TS Tobias Smith
TY Tristan Yoo
WBe Wendy Beers
WGB Bill Bousman
WLa William Lawton
ZW Zihan Wei

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.