Central Valley Birds

• As migration winds down, many of us have bid a fond farewell to our local Swainson's Hawks for the year. But did you know that don't have to wait until the spring to see them again? Authors Chris Swarth and Pat Bacchetti describe concentrations of these hawks found wintering in the Delta and what might be enticing them to stay.

• Another species found flipping the script is the Red-breasted Nuthatch. After finding a female feeding nestlings in a streetside tree in Davis, authors Lynette Williams Duman and Konshau Duman excavated additional evidence of this species nesting in the Central Valley.

• Just in time for Weird Duck Time, UC Davis student Aemilia Thompson describes the first record of a Northern Pintail × Northern Shoveler hybrid in the Central Valley.

• And more! This double issue features additional articles, as well as a new Note from the Field, our continuing series of bird highlights, and a review of Aaron N.K. Haiman's Birds of the California Delta.

Cover photo: Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja). 28 April 2024. San Joaquin NWR, Stanislaus County, California. Photo by Linda Barth.