Archives

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 29 No. 1 (2026)

  Ed Pandolfino, Lowell Young and Zack Smith present more information from Lowell’s impressive 17 years of monitoring Raptors in the Sierra foothills. They look at the relative numbers of Red-tailed Hawk adults and juveniles in various land covers and discuss how their findings relate to theories about dominance among resident and migrant adults and juveniles.

  First published paper on the status of the growing non-native Mute Swan population in the central Sierra foothills of California. Dan Airola documents swan abundance and pond habitat features that the swans select. The study results are a baseline for assessing future population growth (or decline through control efforts) and can assist modeling of the potential for population expansion elsewhere.

  A report of Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism on the cavity-nesting Ash-throated flycatcher.

  Seasonal reports from the busy Fall and Winter 2024-2025 seasons.

  Cover Photo: Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis). 24 February 2016.  Yolo County, California.  

  Photo by Dan Brown.

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 28 No. 4 (2025)

  ·       The American Kestrel is suffering widespread declines in North America. Lowell Young and Ed Pandolfino provide insights from a transect surveyed for 17 years in Merced and Mariposa counties, including reporting an increase that contrasts with declines on surrounding lands.

  ·       Placing nest boxes in pairs is widely advocated to reduce competition by other species with bluebirds, but little research has been done to see if it helps Western Bluebirds. Dan Airola and colleagues evaluate whether pairing nest boxes along the American River benefited bluebirds, compared to boxes places separately, and box use patterns by other box-using species. The results challenge the prevailing recommendations.

  ·       Our Notes from the Field reports on unusual bird behaviors, including Western Bluebirds feeding lizards to fledglings, flycatching by Loggerhead Shrikes, and shrikes caching large numbers of voles when prey numbers exploded.

  ·       Also see Seasonal Highlights from summer 2024, an appeal for members to participate in the new California Breeding Bird Atlas, and reports from the symposium and our new President.

  Cover Photo: Immature male Costa's Hummingbird (Calype costae). 12 July 2024.  Wilton, Sacramento County, California.

  Photo by Linda Pittman.

   

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 28 No. 2 & 3 (2025)

  • 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.

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 28 No. 1 (2025)

   

  Broad-billed Hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris). 5 March 2024. Stockton, San Joaquin County, California.

  Photo by Steve Abbott. 

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 27 No. 4 (2024)

   

  Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus).  15 September 2008. San Luis Reservoir, Merced County.

  Photo by Frances Oliver.

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 27 No. 3 (2024)

   

  Examples of egg sets collected by Donald L. Pinney in California’s Sacramento Valley, California. Species are clockwise from top: American Crow, Bank Swallow, Belted Kingfisher, Black Tern, California Quail, Bullock’s Oriole, California Scrub-jay, and California Thrasher.

  Photo by Emma K. Arriaga. 

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 27 No. 2 (2024)

   

  Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra). 14 July 2023. Oak Grove Park, Ripon, California.

  Photo by Jim Gain. 

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 27 No. 1 (2024)

   

  Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus). 14 June 2017. Three Forks, Montana.

  Photo by Ed Harper.

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 26 No. 4 (2023)

  Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla). 23 November 2022. Mayhew Drain area, American River Parkway, Sacramento Co. California.  

  Photo by Daniel L. Brown 

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 26 No. 3 (2023)

   

  Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor). 22 May 2015. Sacramento County, California. 

  Photo by Daniel L. Brown.           

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 26 No. 2 (2023)

   

  Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) at Lema Ranch, Redding, Shasta Co., California over 19-23 January 2022.

  Photo by Eric Ongman. 

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 26 No. 1 (2023)

   

  Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus). 24 March 2021. San Benito Co., California.

  Photo by Linda Pittman.

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 25 No. 4 (2022)

   

  Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta). 2 February 2011. Sacramento Co., California.

  Photo by Daniel L. Brown.

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 25 No. 3 (2022)

   

  Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni). 15 May 2021. Kings Co., California.

  Photo by Linda Pittman.

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 25 No. 1-2 (2022)

   

  Osprey (Pandion halieatus) carrying fish. 5 January 2016. South Padre Island, Texas.

  Photo by Ed Harper.

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 24 No. 4 (2021)

   

  Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe). 11 January 2022. Tyler Island, Sacramento Co., California.

  Photo by Ed Harper.

   

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 24 No. 2-3 (2021)

   

  Male Northern Pintail (Anas aruta), shows off its iridescent head markings. 18 January 2021. Colusa NWR, Colusa Co., California.

  Photo by Andrew Engilis, Jr.

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 24 No. 1 (2021)

   

  Costa's Hummingbird (Calypte costae). 2 May 2020. Forbestown Rd., Yuba County, California. A first county record found by Asher Perla. 

  Photo by John Hendrickson.

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 23 No. 4 (2020)

   

  Merced Vernal Pool and Grassland Reserve. 21 February 2021. Merced County, California. 

  Photo © Joy Baccei.

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 23 No. 3 (2020)

   

  Juvenile Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina). 19 June 2020. Cosumnes River Preserve, Sacramento Co. California.

  Photo by Chris Conard,

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 23 No. 1-2 (2020)

   

  Barred Owl (Strix varia). 11 December 2019. South Davis, Yolo Co., California.  

  Photo by Bart Wickel.

   

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 22 No. 4 (2019)

   

  Garganey (Spatula querquedula). 16 March 2019. Bridgeway Island Pond, West Sacramento, Yolo Co., California. 

  Photo © Kirk Swenson. 

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 22 No. 3 (2019)

   

  Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya). 1 May 2018. Woodland, Yolo Co., California. 
   
  Photo © Sarah Mayhew.

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  Central Valley Birds

  Vol. 22 No. 1-2 (2019)

   

  Ruff [Calidris pugnax (large yellow feet)] with Least Sandpipers (Calidris minutilla). 20 February 2018. Yolo Co., California.

  Photo by Daniel L. Brown.

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  Central Valley Bird Club Bulletin

  Vol. 21 No. 4 (2018)

   

  Bell’s Sparrow (Artemisiospiza belli). 19 August 2018. Reichmuth Park, Sacramento Co., California. 

  Photo © Mark Sawyer.