Birds of the Coachella Valley
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.
Explore the bird collectionFollow the Pacific FlywayOriginal photography by Mark Miller · 53 regional bird profiles
Vermilion FlycatcherView photograph +Start with the habitat.Desert scrub, irrigated gardens, freshwater ponds, riparian woodland and high mountain forests each reveal a different side of the region’s birdlife.
A growing collection of encounters.Explore the species Mark has photographed. This is a curated introduction, not a complete regional checklist; individual photographs may come from outside the valley.
Find a bird. Follow its story.
Search a name, color or field mark. Open a photograph for a closer look, or explore the full bird profile.
53 regional bird profiles
Birds can appear in more than one habitat. Seasons, elevation and water conditions affect what you might find.
Vermilion Flycatcher
Pyrocephalus rubinus
Adult males flash scarlet red; watch for short flights out from an exposed perch.
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Burrowing Owl
Athene cunicularia
A small owl with long legs and yellow eyes, often watching from close to the ground.
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Snow Geese
Anser caerulescens
White birds with black wingtips gather in winter flocks around refuge fields and wetlands.
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Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
Two black chest bands stand out on this plover of gravel, fields and water edges.
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Anna’s Hummingbird
Calypte anna
Look for an adult male’s rose-pink head and throat; color changes with the light.
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Pygmy Nuthatch
Sitta pygmaea
Tiny, busy birds travel through pine branches in chattering groups above the desert.
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Mallard Duck
Anas platyrhynchos
Adult males have green heads; females are mottled brown. Both show a blue wing patch.
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Western Grebe
Aechmophorus occidentalis
A long white neck, dark cap and slender bill mark this diving bird of open water.
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European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Glossy dark plumage turns speckled in fresh feathers; look for flocks over farms and towns.
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Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
A white egret with a black bill, black legs and bright yellow feet.
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Black Phoebe
Sayornis nigricans
A black chest and white belly; often returns to the same low perch after catching insects.
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Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Watch for long wings held in a shallow V and a gentle rocking flight.
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Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
A tall blue-gray heron that stalks the shallows and flies with its neck folded back.
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Rock Pigeon
Columba livia
City flocks come in many colors; gray birds often have two dark wing bars.
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Nuttall’s Woodpecker
Dryobates nuttallii
A small woodpecker with a barred black-and-white back, working trunks and branches.
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California Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma californica
Blue wings, a gray-brown back and no crest distinguish it from the mountain Steller’s Jay.
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Bonaparte’s Gull
Chroicocephalus philadelphia
A small, delicate gull with a slim black bill and a dark ear spot in winter plumage.
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American White Pelican
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Huge white birds with orange bills; black flight feathers stand out when the wings open.
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Great Egret
Ardea alba
A tall white egret with a yellow bill and black legs, often standing almost motionless.
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Costa’s Hummingbird
Calypte costae
Adult males show a flared purple throat patch; females are much more subtly colored.
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White-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta carolinensis
A white face and blue-gray back; watch it creep headfirst down a tree trunk.
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Inca Dove
Columbina inca
Fine dark feather edges give this small, long-tailed dove a scaled appearance.
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White-faced Ibis
Plegadis chihi
A long curved bill and dark, bronze-green plumage identify this probing wader.
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Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Yellow flashes at the rump and sides help pick out this active little winter visitor.
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Red-breasted Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus ruber
A red head and breast draw attention to this woodpecker and its rows of sap wells.
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Black-necked Stilts
Himantopus mexicanus
Very long pink legs support a crisp black-and-white body above the water.
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American Wigeon
Mareca americana
A compact grazing duck; adult males show a pale crown and green stripe behind the eye.
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Black-crowned Night Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
Stocky adults have a black cap and gray wings; juveniles are streaked and brown.
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Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater
Males pair a brown head with a dark body; females are plain gray-brown.
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Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Ground-feeding sparrows that flash white outer tail feathers when they fly.
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American Coot
Fulica americana
A dark waterbird with a white bill; its lobed toes differ from a duck’s webbed feet.
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Double-crested Cormorant
Nannopterum auritum
A dark diving bird with a hooked bill, often resting with its wings spread.
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Green Heron
Butorides virescens
A compact heron with a chestnut neck, often hidden in shade beside the water.
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Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Prominent ear tufts and yellow eyes; listen for deep hooting around dusk.
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Say's Phoebe
Sayornis saya
Soft gray above and warm peach below, with a dark tail that often dips from a perch.
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Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
Long tails and yellow eyes stand out; males are glossy black, females brown.
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Greater Roadrunner
Geococcyx californianus
A long tail, raised crest and quick stride make this ground-hunting cuckoo distinctive.
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House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
Males often show red on the head and chest; both sexes have streaked sides.
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Loggerhead Shrike
Lanius ludovicianus
A gray songbird with a bold black face mask, scanning for prey from exposed perches.
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Mountain Chickadee
Poecile gambeli
A white eyebrow cuts through the black cap of this active mountain forest bird.
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Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
A gray, long-tailed singer with bright white wing patches visible in flight.
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Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
A white head with a dark eye stripe; watch this fish-catching raptor over open water.
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Phainopepla
Phainopepla nitens
A sleek crest and red eyes; males are black, females gray. Mistletoe berries are a key food.
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Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Broad wings and, in adults, a reddish upper tail; often watches from a high perch.
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Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
Males flash red shoulder patches; females are streaked brown and easily overlooked.
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Ring-necked Duck
Aythya collaris
Look for the peaked head and pale bill markings rather than the hard-to-see neck ring.
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Rufous Hummingbird
Selasphorus rufus
Coppery tones can be a clue; females and young birds can be hard to separate from Allen’s.
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Steller’s Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri
A tall dark crest and deep blue body make this noisy mountain jay stand out.
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Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra
Males are red and females yellow; look in tree canopies during the warmer season.
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White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Adults have bold black-and-white head stripes; young birds wear softer brown stripes.
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Willet
Tringa semipalmata
Plain gray-brown at rest, then dramatic black-and-white wings when it takes flight.
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Sandhill Crane
Antigone canadensis
Tall gray birds with red crowns; winter flocks are a highlight around the southern Salton Sea.
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Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Adults have yellow legs and a dark ring near the tip of the yellow bill.
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Try another name, choose a different habitat or clear the filters.
One region. A different cast all year.
Winter
Refuge wetlands and fields fill with visiting geese, cranes and ducks. A rewarding season to start exploring the Salton Sea.
Plan a winter visitSpring
Winter visitors head north as migrants stop to rest and feed. Look for movement through leafy canyons and oases.
Follow the flywaySummer
Resident birds raise young. Mountain forests offer a different bird community above the low desert.
Explore mountain birdsFall
Shorebirds and waterfowl return in waves. Changing flocks make familiar places worth visiting again.
Read a fall field notePlaces, migrations & field stories.
The Pacific Flyway
See how the valley connects to a migration route stretching far beyond the desert.
Read the story
A winter morning at Lake Cahuilla
Explore the birds using the surface, shoreline, open water and air above one desert lake.
Read the story
Bird-watching at the Salton Sea
Find places to explore, seasonal context and practical photography advice for a visit.
Read the storyExplore the Sonny Bono Wildlife Refuge
Continue south to the refuge’s managed wetlands and fields. Start with the place guide, then check current access before heading out.
Follow the bird.
Discover its habitat.
A bird’s story continues in the plants around it. Phainopeplas feed on mistletoe berries in desert washes, while trees and shrubs provide places to perch, forage and nest.
Explore the Flora collectionMeet the PhainopeplaAbout this guide, birding care & sources
The directory covers 53 regional species in the existing photography collection, including introduced wild birds such as European Starlings and Rock Pigeons. The Spur-winged Lapwing is presented separately, and the wildlife refuge appears as a destination. The Salton Sea region and surrounding mountain habitats extend beyond the Coachella Valley floor.
Habitat filters are starting points, not boundaries or a live sightings report. Birds move with weather, food, elevation and water. Plumage varies with age, sex and season; use the full profiles and an authoritative field guide for identification.
Observe from a distance, stay on permitted routes and give nests and burrows space. Let birds keep feeding and resting undisturbed, and check current site access before a visit.
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: seasonal wildlife at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea refuge
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology: bird identification and life histories
- Cornell Lab: Phainopepla and its desert habitat
- European Starling and Rock Pigeon: introduced species context
- Cornell Lab: Rufous Hummingbird identification and similar species
- Los Angeles Zoo: Spur-winged Lapwing
