Parks & water edges
Vermilion Flycatcher
Pyrocephalus rubinusAdult males flash scarlet red; watch for short flights out from an exposed perch.
Explore birdBirds of the Coachella Valley
A photographic field guide
Get to know the birds around you.
From a hummingbird in your garden to winter flocks at the Salton Sea, follow the birds through the Coachella Valley and its surrounding mountains.
Help identify a birdBrowse all 54 birdsFollow the Pacific FlywayOriginal photography by Mark Miller · 54 regional bird profiles
Vermilion FlycatcherExplore birdA photographic guide to desert, garden, wetland and mountain birds. This growing collection is a starting point, not a complete regional checklist. Some photographs were taken outside the valley.
Start with a story
Birdwatching Close to Home: What One Desert Pond Taught MeOne Bird, Many Voices: The Northern Mockingbird in Your NeighborhoodWhy Are Those Ducks Eating the Lawn? Meet the American Wigeon
Browse all bird stories
Look closer
Find a bird. Follow its story.
Search a name, color or field mark. Open a bird profile for more photographs, sounds, stories and local field notes.
What did you notice?
Choose only the clues you remember. “Any / not sure” keeps more possibilities open.
These clues narrow the photographed species in this guide; they do not confirm an identification. Size is approximate. Females, young birds and seasonal plumage can look different. Compare more than one field mark.
53 regional bird profiles
Birds can appear in more than one habitat. Seasons, elevation and water conditions affect what you might find.
Open desert & fields
Burrowing Owl
Athene cuniculariaA small owl with long legs and yellow eyes, often watching from close to the ground.
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Winter at the Salton Sea
Snow Geese
Anser caerulescensWhite birds with black wingtips gather in winter flocks around refuge fields and wetlands.
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Open ground & shorelines
Killdeer
Charadrius vociferusTwo black chest bands stand out on this plover of gravel, fields and water edges.
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Gardens & flowering shrubs
Anna’s Hummingbird
Calypte annaLook for an adult male’s rose-pink head and throat; color changes with the light.
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Mountain pine forests
Pygmy Nuthatch
Sitta pygmaeaTiny, busy birds travel through pine branches in chattering groups above the desert.
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Freshwater lakes & ponds
Mallard Duck
Anas platyrhynchosAdult males have green heads; females are mottled brown. Both show a blue wing patch.
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Open lakes & reservoirs
Western Grebe
Aechmophorus occidentalisA long white neck, dark cap and slender bill mark this diving bird of open water.
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Introduced species
European Starling
Sturnus vulgarisGlossy dark plumage turns speckled in fresh feathers; look for flocks over farms and towns.
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Shallow water
Snowy Egret
Egretta thulaA white egret with a black bill, black legs and bright yellow feet.
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Ponds, parks & oases
Black Phoebe
Sayornis nigricansA black chest and white belly; often returns to the same low perch after catching insects.
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Open country & mountain skies
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes auraWatch for long wings held in a shallow V and a gentle rocking flight.
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Ponds & wetlands
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodiasA tall blue-gray heron that stalks the shallows and flies with its neck folded back.
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Introduced species
Rock Pigeon
Columba liviaCity flocks come in many colors; gray birds often have two dark wing bars.
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Oak & riparian woodland
Nuttall’s Woodpecker
Dryobates nuttalliiA small woodpecker with a barred black-and-white back, working trunks and branches.
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Foothills & oak woodland
California Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma californicaBlue wings, a gray-brown back and no crest distinguish it from the mountain Steller’s Jay.
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Lakes & the Salton Sea
Bonaparte’s Gull
Chroicocephalus philadelphiaA small, delicate gull with a slim black bill and a dark ear spot in winter plumage.
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Lakes & regional wetlands
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
Pelecanus erythrorhynchosHuge white birds with orange bills; black flight feathers stand out when the wings open.
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Ponds & marsh edges
Great Egret
Ardea albaA tall white egret with a yellow bill and black legs, often standing almost motionless.
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Desert scrub & gardens
Costa’s Hummingbird
Calypte costaeAdult males show a flared purple throat patch; females are much more subtly colored.
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Mountain oak & pine woodland
White-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta carolinensisA white face and blue-gray back; watch it creep headfirst down a tree trunk.
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Gardens & settled areas
Inca Dove
Columbina incaFine dark feather edges give this small, long-tailed dove a scaled appearance.
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Wet fields & marshes
White-faced Ibis
Plegadis chihiA long curved bill and dark, bronze-green plumage identify this probing wader.
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Cool-season gardens & trees
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronataYellow flashes at the rump and sides help pick out this active little winter visitor.
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Mountain woodland
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus ruberA red head and breast draw attention to this woodpecker and its rows of sap wells.
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Shallow wetlands
Black-necked Stilts
Himantopus mexicanusVery long pink legs support a crisp black-and-white body above the water.
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Cool-season ponds
American Wigeon
Mareca americanaA compact grazing duck; adult males show a pale crown and green stripe behind the eye.
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Sheltered water edges
Black-crowned Night Heron
Nycticorax nycticoraxStocky adults have a black cap and gray wings; juveniles are streaked and brown.
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Fields & open woodland edges
Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus aterMales pair a brown head with a dark body; females are plain gray-brown.
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Mountains & cool-season lowlands
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalisGround-feeding sparrows that flash white outer tail feathers when they fly.
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Freshwater ponds & marshes
American Coot
Fulica americanaA dark waterbird with a white bill; its lobed toes differ from a duck’s webbed feet.
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Lakes & reservoirs
Double Crested Cormorant
Nannopterum auritumA dark diving bird with a hooked bill, often resting with its wings spread.
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Vegetated pond edges
Green Heron
Butorides virescensA compact heron with a chestnut neck, often hidden in shade beside the water.
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Desert, canyons & woodland
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
Bubo virginianusProminent ear tufts and yellow eyes; listen for deep hooting around dusk.
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Open desert & farmland
Say's Phoebe
Sayornis sayaSoft gray above and warm peach below, with a dark tail that often dips from a perch.
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Towns, lawns & water edges
Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanusLong tails and yellow eyes stand out; males are glossy black, females brown.
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Desert scrub & open neighborhoods
Greater Roadrunner
Geococcyx californianusA long tail, raised crest and quick stride make this ground-hunting cuckoo distinctive.
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Gardens & neighborhoods
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanusMales often show red on the head and chest; both sexes have streaked sides.
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Open scrub & agricultural edges
Loggerhead Shrike
Lanius ludovicianusA gray songbird with a bold black face mask, scanning for prey from exposed perches.
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High-elevation conifers
Mountain Chickadee
Poecile gambeliA white eyebrow cuts through the black cap of this active mountain forest bird.
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Gardens & desert edges
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottosA gray, long-tailed singer with bright white wing patches visible in flight.
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Lakes & fish-bearing water
Osprey
Pandion haliaetusA white head with a dark eye stripe; watch this fish-catching raptor over open water.
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Desert washes & berry-bearing trees
Phainopepla
Phainopepla nitensA sleek crest and red eyes; males are black, females gray. Mistletoe berries are a key food.
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Open country & foothills
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensisBroad wings and, in adults, a reddish upper tail; often watches from a high perch.
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Marshes & wet agricultural edges
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceusMales flash red shoulder patches; females are streaked brown and easily overlooked.
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Cool-season freshwater ponds
Ring-necked Duck
Aythya collarisLook for the peaked head and pale bill markings rather than the hard-to-see neck ring.
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Flowering stops during migration
Rufous Hummingbird
Selasphorus rufusCoppery tones can be a clue; females and young birds can be hard to separate from Allen’s.
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Mountain conifer forests
Steller’s Jay
Cyanocitta stelleriA tall dark crest and deep blue body make this noisy mountain jay stand out.
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Leafy riparian woodland
Summer Tanager
Piranga rubraMales are red and females yellow; look in tree canopies during the warmer season.
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Cool-season scrub & gardens
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrysAdults have bold black-and-white head stripes; young birds wear softer brown stripes.
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Shorelines & wetland margins
Willet
Tringa semipalmataPlain gray-brown at rest, then dramatic black-and-white wings when it takes flight.
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Regional wetlands & refuge fields
Sandhill Crane
Antigone canadensisTall gray birds with red crowns; winter flocks are a highlight around the southern Salton Sea.
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Cool-season lakes & open water
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensisAdults have yellow legs and a dark ring near the tip of the yellow bill.
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Open fields, desert edges and roadside perches around Thermal.
American Kestrel
Falco sparveriusSmall falcon with two dark vertical facial stripes.
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Try another name, choose a different habitat or clear the filters.
Small details make the difference
Two birds. What should you look for?
Open a quick comparison here, then explore the full identification story.
Great Egret or Snowy Egret?
For typical adult birds here, compare bill color and feet before relying on size alone.
Read the egret ID guideAnna’s or Costa’s Hummingbird?
Adult males provide strong head-and-throat clues. Females and young birds need a closer look.
Read the hummingbird ID guide
Once you know the bird
Find out what it is doing.
A familiar bird can become more interesting when you recognize its behavior.
Follow the changing seasons.
Winter brings geese, cranes and ducks to regional wetlands. Spring and fall bring migrants through oases and leafy canyons; summer mountain forests offer a different bird community above the desert floor.
Explore the Pacific Flyway · Plan a Salton Sea birding visit
Choose public viewing areas and check current access before setting out. A photograph taken in a private community does not make that location open to visitors.
About this guide, birding care & sources
This guide narrows 53 photographed regional species, not every bird that could occur here. Clues and comparisons were reviewed October 20, 2026. Broad size groups overlap; plumage varies with age, sex, season and light. Photos may be from outside the valley and are not shown to scale. Observe quietly, give nests and burrows space, and check current site access.
The habitat behind the bird
Follow the plants, shelter and water that connect your bird observations with the wider desert.
A Desert Tree Is a Whole Neighborhood: Life Around a Mesquite
Follow flowers, pods, insects, birds and shade around a mesquite—and discover how one desert tree supports a network of life. Original Sunnylands photographs by Mark Miller.
Read the storyHow Can a Palm Oasis Exist in the Middle of the Desert?
A green grove can reveal water you cannot see—and geology beneath your feet.
Read the storyWhy Do Trees Grow in Desert Washes That Look Completely Dry?
Discover why trees grow in dry desert washes, how runoff and soil moisture support plants, and what photographs can reveal about Coachella Valley landscapes.
Read the storyBird stories
Identification, surprising behavior, and places to watch—drawn from the growing Nature collection.
Identification
Why Are Some House Finches Red—and Others Orange?
Explore why male House Finches can be red, orange or yellow through Mark Miller’s photography, illustrated comparisons and an interactive food-to-feather story.
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Behavior & sound
The Green Fields Beyond La Quinta: A Look at Thermal
Mark Miller’s Thermal photographs connect the eastern Coachella Valley’s cultivated fields with a perched kestrel and turkey vultures overhead.
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Behavior & sound
The Tiny Falcon Above the Fields: How American Kestrels Hunt
Follow the American Kestrel from a wire to a hover with Mark Miller’s Thermal photographs, an interactive hunting comparison and a practical field observation exercise.
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Identification
The Little Sparrow That Announces Winter in the Desert
Compare adult and immature White-crowned Sparrows in Mark Miller’s original photographs, and learn to notice this seasonal visitor on your next desert walk.
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Behavior & sound
Why a Hummingbird’s Throat Goes From Black to Brilliant
Follow the flash from light to feather to eye. Explore original hummingbird photography, an interactive angle demonstration and the tiny structures that create iridescence.
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Behavior & sound
One Bird, Many Voices: The Northern Mockingbird in Your Neighborhood
Hear how Northern Mockingbirds repeat and change phrases, replay a real recording, and arrange passages in a simple listening experiment—with Mark Miller’s Coachella Valley photographs.
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Behavior & sound
The Heron You Might Walk Past All Day: Black-crowned Night Herons
A quiet shape among the branches has a different feeding shift. Meet the Black-crowned Night Heron through Mark Miller’s photograph, field marks and an interactive...
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Behavior & sound
Why Are Those Ducks Eating the Lawn? Meet the American Wigeon
Why are those ducks grazing? Meet the American Wigeon through its short bill, plant-rich diet and winter movements, with Mark Miller’s photography and an interactive...
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Places & seasons
Birdwatching Close to Home: What One Desert Pond Taught Me
A backyard photographer changed how I saw bird photography. One small clubhouse lake revealed five feeding styles—and the value of knowing the birds close to...
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Identification
Black Phoebe or Say’s Phoebe? Meet the Flycatchers on Your Fence
Compare Black Phoebe and Say’s Phoebe by belly color, tail movement and habitat, with Mark Miller’s original photographs and an interactive comparison.
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Behavior & sound
The Bird That Barely Moves: How Great Blue Herons Hunt
Discover how Great Blue Herons combine patient watching, slow steps and sudden strikes, with Mark Miller’s Lake Cahuilla photographs and an interactive hunting guide.
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Behavior & sound
When the Fields Turn White: Snow Geese at the Salton Sea
Discover why wintering Snow Geese gather in Salton Sea fields, how to distinguish them from Ross’s Geese, and the northern journey behind the spectacle.
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Behavior & sound
Pelicans in the Desert: How American White Pelicans Find a Meal
Explore how American White Pelicans scoop, drain and swallow their food, with Mark Miller’s Lake Cahuilla photography and an interactive feeding guide.
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Behavior & sound
The Hawk Above the Fields: A Red-tailed Hawk’s Coachella Valley
A pole, a field and rising air: explore the Red-tailed Hawk’s hunting, soaring and family life through Mark Miller’s photographs and an interactive habitat guide.
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Behavior & sound
The Bird That Pretends to Be Hurt: How Killdeer Protect Their Young
A Killdeer’s broken-wing display can hide a family story. Explore its camouflaged ground nest, mobile chicks and protective behavior through Mark Miller’s photographs.
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Behavior & sound
Why Is That Bird Holding Its Wings Open? Meet the Double-crested Cormorant
Why do cormorants hold their wings open? Explore underwater hunting and feather drying with Mark Miller’s local photographs and an interactive illustration.
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Behavior & sound
After Sunset: The Great Horned Owl’s Coachella Valley
Hunting perches, quiet wings and family life across the desert and surrounding mountains.
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Behavior & sound
Turkey Vultures Above the Coachella Valley: Following the Landscape for a Living
From farm fields to mountain air: how these soaring scavengers find food, rest and raise young.
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Behavior & sound
Why Is That Roadrunner Standing with Its Back to the Sun?
Why roadrunners turn their backs to the morning sun: explore dark skin, energy savings and midday shade with Mark Miller’s photos and an interactive.
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Behavior & sound
The Owl at Ground Level: How Burrowing Owls Make a Home Underground
Explore how Burrowing Owls use underground homes, hunt in open country and raise young—with Mark Miller’s photographs and an interactive burrow cutaway.
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Behavior & sound
The Black Bird with Red Eyes—and Its Connection to Desert Mistletoe
Meet the red-eyed Phainopepla and explore the relationship among desert mistletoe, host trees, and the birds that eat the berries and disperse their seeds.
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Behavior & sound
The Desert’s “Butcher Bird”: Why Loggerhead Shrikes Impale Their Prey
Why does the Loggerhead Shrike impale prey? Explore the lookout perch, hooked bill and thorn in an interactive guide illustrated with Mark Miller’s photographs.
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Identification
Great Egret or Snowy Egret? Look at the Bill—and the Feet
Great Egret or Snowy Egret? Compare Mark Miller’s photographs, check bill and foot colors, and use a three-clue identification tool—even when the feet are hidden.
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Identification
What Is That Bright Red Bird? Meet the Vermilion Flycatcher
Meet the desert’s bright red flycatcher, compare male and female photographs, and follow an interactive perch-to-catch hunting sequence.
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Identification
Those Little Black “Ducks” Are American Coots—Here’s How to Tell
Meet the American Coot: the dark pond bird with a white bill, red eye and surprising toes. Compare coot and duck feet in an interactive...
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Identification
Anna’s or Costa’s? Which Hummingbird Is Visiting Your Desert Garden?
Anna’s or Costa’s Hummingbird? Compare original photographs, explore identifying clues and learn why color alone can be misleading.
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Places & seasons
Why I Love Winter Around the Salton Sea
Quiet farm roads, green fields, and the birds that keep me coming back to the southeastern Salton Sea.
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Places & seasons
Layers of a Desert Lake: Birds of Lake Cahuilla in Winter
A winter morning at Lake Cahuilla reveals gulls, a shrike, pelicans and grebes hunting across four layers of one desert ecosystem.
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Places & seasons
The Pacific Flyway: Coachella Valley’s Living Migration Path
Follow the Pacific Flyway through the Coachella Valley with a seasonal migration explorer, local birding habitats, Salton Sea context and practical viewing tips.
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Places & seasons
European Starlings Over Thermal: The First Fall Show
A firsthand October field note from Thermal, California, where European Starlings move like smoke over farmland while hawks watch the fields.
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Places & seasons
Salton Sea Bird Watching: Where to Go & What to See
Plan a Salton Sea bird-watching trip with the best locations, winter timing, refuge access, photography advice and a practical east-side route.
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Places & seasons
Egrets and Cranes: A Day at the Salton Sea Refuge
Walk through Mark Miller’s October field visit to the Sonny Bono Salton Sea refuge, with Snowy Egrets, Sandhill Cranes and desert photography.
Read the storyNo stories match these words. Try a bird name or a broader observation.