The main Chinook salmon run begins in October, and hundreds of gulls as well as large numbers of Turkey Vultures arrive to feed on the dying fish. This feast may bring in an occasional Bald Eagle. Ospreys are also often seen in winter along with flocks of Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser and the occasional Barrow’s Goldeneye.

Walk the trails along the river and you may find Spotted Sandpipers, Greater Yellowlegs, Great Blue Herons, and Great Egrets hunting at the water's edge while Wood Ducks and Common Mergansers float along. Black Phoebes, Bushtits, and Acorn Woodpeckers are seen year-round. In the spring and summer, Ash-throated Flycatchers, Western Kingbirds, and Bullock's and Hooded orioles are all possibilities.

In the fall and spring, migrating songbirds such as Townsend’s, Hermit, Nashville, and Wilson’s warblers, as well as Bullock’s Orioles, and Black-headed Grosbeak may be spotted. In winter, California, American Herring, and Ring-billed gulls are the most common species. One might also see less common Glaucous-winged, Iceland, or Short-billed gulls.

More than 70 acres of riparian woodland adjacent to the Effie Yeaw Nature Center (EYNC) have been preserved as a nature study area within the American River Parkway. Because this birding spot is easy to reach and includes a variety of habitats, it is possible to sight more than 100 species during the course of a year. In the spring, migrating warblers move through the woods. The crowned sparrows return each fall, and winter brings the goldeneyes back to the river.

River Bend Park has a variety of habitats with trails throughout. You can walk along the American River in search of goldeneyes or sandpipers; search the woods for woodpeckers, sparrows, and wrens; or explore the open areas for raptors soaring in the sky and hummingbirds flitting among the bushes.

Known for its diverse habitats, William B. Pond has fast flowing water where riffles and gravel bars are present, sandy riverbanks, riparian woodlands, a nesting rookery, open areas and woodlands edges, plus a wonderful urban park. All these habitats draw in a great variety of birds. Physically handicapped birders can access the large pond via a specialized accessible pier and ramp. Paved walking trails gently slope around the park.

An amazing number of rarities have been found here in the spring and fall: Eastern Wood-Pewee, Red-eyed Vireo, Northern Parula, and Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Black-and-white, and Hooded warblers, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Throughout the year informal trails provide access to the riparian forest. In the winter this is a good area for sparrows and wrens. During spring and fall migration, look for warblers, vireos, and flycatchers in the oaks, willows, and cottonwoods.

In spring, look for migrating warblers, vireos, flycatchers, and grosbeaks. In winter, look for Dark-eyed Junco, crowned sparrows, winter warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cedar Waxwing, Red-breasted Sapsucker, and Hermit Thrush.

The Western subspecies of Purple Martin is uncommon and declining, but the City of Sacramento is host to a few small breeding colonies that have adapted to nesting in “weep holes” under freeway overpasses.

If you have only a few hours to spare for birding on a winter weekend morning, you might want to visit East Lawn Cemetery on Folsom Boulevard in East Sacramento. Filled with winter residents, over the years, Townsend’s Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and Black-and-white Warbler have been found here in the winter. Well maintained and paved roads with limited and slow moving vehicles wind through the cemetery. Handicapped parking and accessible restrooms are provided.

The large conifers and berry-laden shrubs and trees of William Land Park attract winter flocks of American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco, and American Goldfinch. This is a good place to look for wintering Varied Thrush (under the redwoods), Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Townsend’s Warbler, Purple Finch and Pine Siskin.

The trail around the park is at its best during spring and fall migration with large numbers of sparrows, warblers, and kinglets in the canopy and on the ground.

Because of its varied habitat, a large variety of birds may be seen in North Natomas. Hawks and blackbirds inhabit the grasslands. In the right season shorebirds, ducks, geese, and swans fill the rice fields. Riparian areas are rife with titmice and woodpeckers year-round and migrant warblers in spring and fall.

Located within the Stone Lakes Wildlife Refuge is Blue Heron Trails. This trail system is fully accessible to all people and offers a well designed and paved trail, consisting of a mile loop around managed wetlands. The location hosts various migrants such as hawks, shorebirds, Sandhill Crane, and waterfowl.

The more than 45,000 acres around the Cosumnes River that make up the Cosumnes River Preserve have been designated as a Globally Important Bird Area with more than 300 species recorded. Located within the preserve is the Wetlands Walk Trail consisting of a one-mile fully accessible trail system.

The Rancho Seco Recreational Area has the potential to serve as a migrant trap, since the surrounding habitat is open grassland. It also provides the only public access to the Howard Ranch—a 12,000-acre preserve of grasslands, vernal pools, and oak woodlands. Good accessibility features are limited to the park-like picnic area and camping area on the south side of the reservoir, with at least one accessible fishing dock.

This seldom visited portion of Sacramento County, including Sherman Island and Brannan Island, has enormous potential. There can be thousands of waterfowl, and many raptors, shorebirds, sparrows, and blackbirds (including Yellow-headed and Tricolored) with a diversity of rarities showing up over the years.

Mather Regional Park is a 64-acre lake surrounded by 158 acres of riparian habitat, upland scrub, seasonal wetland and annual grassland. With just under 200 species recorded at this site, it is a year-round favorite among local birders. The park provides a limited amount of paved walkways, but does include handicapped parking and accessible restrooms.

This year-round pond in West Sacramento near the eastern edge of the Yolo Causeway is one of the best places in California to see Blue-winged Teal each fall and winter. Additionally year-round resident Black-necked Stilts and American Avocets breed here in the spring.

This Global-Priority Level Important Bird Area contains more than 25,000 acres and is just minutes from downtown Sacramento. There are miles of gravel roads for fantastic birding from your vehicle. However most of the trails within the wildlife area are not accessible to mobility challenged users.

These two sites just west of the Sacramento River make for an excellent morning of birding in the spring and fall. When there is a good pulse of migrants, the woods can be hopping with warblers and other songbirds.

This evolving wetland consists of 400 acres of ponds and upland habitat of varying depths and is a continuation of Davis’s storm water and wastewater treatment process. The Wetlands are only open to the public during limited times during the year. From February 15th through August 31st, the wetlands are open seven days/week from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. From September 1st through February 15th, the wetlands are open Mondays only from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This rookery is very active in spring with Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Western Cattle Egrets, Black-crowned Night-Herons, and occasionally Great Blue Herons nesting in a large stand of eucalyptus trees on private land.

The treatment ponds at this location have a fine history of attracting good shorebirds, gulls, and waterfowl. The peak season for finding rare shorebirds is from July through September, depending on water levels. Good numbers of shorebirds and gulls can be found in the winter, and spring migration can be productive as well.

The University of California, Davis Arboretum in addition to other large trees on the U.C. campus, has produced excellent rarities (notably Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and Red Crossbills) and often provides good birding. There are over four miles of paved trails on both sides of an improved section of Putah Creek.

This vital remnant of riparian habitat has become a haven for warblers, flycatchers and other migrating passerines in the spring and fall.

The Nimbus Dam creates a narrow reservoir below Folsom Lake on the American River. It backs up water for nearly six miles, starting just upstream from the Nimbus Hatchery and the Hazel Avenue bridge. Open water attracts many water birds and the surrounding oak woodlands add to the species diversity.

The multiple locations described in this section (Folsom Point, Mormon Island Wetlands, Morman Island Lake Access, Brown’s Ravine, Falcon Crest, Sweetwater Creek trail to Folsom Lake, and Sweetwater Trail) can be done as individual short excursions or as a full day of birding, progressing from one stop to the next.

Beals Point is probably the single best location for viewing large numbers of gulls and water birds on Folsom Lake. From 3pm until dusk thousands of gulls fly in to roost on the lake. As many as 14 Common Loons have been recorded just from this site.

Beeks Bight offers foothill woodland habitat dominated by interior live oak, gray pine, and blue oak. The spring season provides the greatest diversity. Dozens of migrating and resident hummingbirds can be found feeding on flowers. Granite rock outcroppings prevail throughout and offer excellent habitat for Rock Wrens and Rufous-crowned Sparrows.

An afternoon hike in this area on a clear day in the middle of January will reward the birdwatcher with sunshine, green foothill grasses, early blooming manzanita and coyote bush, and over 60 species of birds. This is also the best time of year for sighting Bald Eagles and Osprey soaring along the lake’s shoreline.

This unassuming and unsung area holds some of the greatest raptor concentrations in the region. The rice fields can host immense flocks of Snow and Greater White-fronted geese, and Tundra Swan. When water conditions are right, the shorebirds can be very good.

This is a great spring trip. Following the suggested route will result in a wide variety of habitats, including grasslands, farmlands, riparian corridors and open water, and will provide some of the best spring birding in the Sacramento Valley. This trip can be broken into a number of smaller excursions or taken on as a full day of birding.

A walk through the sanctuary is a delight in any season. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded. In summer, Swainson’s Hawk soar overhead. Great Horned Owl is common here. Wood Duck, herons, egrets, and Pied-billed Grebe can be found year-round. Springtime brings a variety of warblers as well as nesting Western Bluebird, Bullock’s Oriole, and Black-headed Grosbeak. In winter, sparrows, towhees, kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Northern Flicker are among the common birds.

The area traversed by Sand Creek Road is a classic California landscape in remote Colusa County. This is the best site locally for Greater Roadrunners and among the best for Lawrence’s Goldfinches. California Thrashers and Bell’s Sparrows are commonly heard and often seen in spring, with Mountain Quail also often heard in the spring.

Approximately 1 hour north of Sacramento, the Colusa NWR is a great location to view large waterfowl concentrations, especially during December and January.

In winter, you will often see the sky at Gray Lodge filled with geese and ducks. Snow Geese, as well as the greatest concentration of Ross's Geese in the United States, are found here along with Greater White-fronted Geese and Canada Geese. The Wetland Discovery Trail is a one-mile paved fully accessible trail meandering along the wetlands of Gray Lodge with several viewing platforms.

This is one of the most accessible areas to observe large numbers of Sandhill Cranes. From October to March, many fields in this area are flooded and filled with Sandhill Cranes, wintering shorebirds, and waterfowl.

Staten Island is an excellent site for viewing large numbers of Sandhill Cranes, geese, Tundra Swans, other waterfowl, and shorebirds.

Lodi Lake Park is truly one of the premier birding areas in San Joaquin County. This reputation is well deserved as over 200 species (over 50% of the county's total bird list) have been observed within the boundaries of this 125-acre jewel along the Mokelumne River in north Lodi.

This magnet for birds on the Solano-Yolo County line is formed by a small diversion dam on Putah Creek several miles east of Lake Berryessa and the Vaca Mountains, the easternmost ridge of the North Coast Ranges. For the best birding, visit the area early in the morning; fall and winter are most productive, due to the arrival of winter visitors.

This 30 mile driving trip takes you through one of the best montane birding areas within easy driving distance of Sacramento. The area ranges in elevation from approximately 3,500 feet to over 6,000 feet and offers a number of varied habitats for many species of birds.

Located at 5,000 feet near Emigrant Pass, Sierra Discovery Trail is a one mile partially paved loop trail meandering through an old growth conifer forest. Bear River also runs adjacent to the trail providing an opportunity to see an American Dipper.