Where to Go Birding North of Sacramento

Placer County

Where to Go Birding
Bald Eagle Mary Forrestal 021321 BrewerRd.JPG
winter
Brewer Road Area to West of Lincoln
winter

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.

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winter
Great Egret Mary Forrestal 031724 Lincoln.jpg
spring
Lincoln Hills to Spenceville Wildlife Area
spring

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.

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spring
Common Gallinule Mary Forrestal 052224 FerrariRanchPonds.jpg
Ferrari Ranch Ponds

Ferrari Ranch Ponds are a series of smaller ponds, bordered by a paved bike trail, located on the west side of Hwy 65 in Lincoln. Common Gallinule are, in fact, common in these ponds along with egrets and herons, swallows in the summer, and a variety of waterfowl in the winter.

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Sutter County

Where to Go Birding
Wood Ducks Dana J. Miller-Blair Gristmill.jpg
spring, summer, fall, winter
Bobelaine Audubon Sanctuary
spring, summer, fall, winter

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.

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spring, summer, fall, winter

Colusa County

Where to Go Birding
Lawrence's Goldfinch Ray Rozema.jpg
spring
Sand Creek Road
spring

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.

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spring
Lewis's Woodpecker Daniel Lee Brown 2019-01-12.jpg
Bear Valley

Greater Roadrunner, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, California Thrasher, and Bell’s Sparrow may be heard and even seen in spring. Listen here as well for the Mountain Quail calling in the spring.

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Ross's Goose Daniel Lee Brown 2014-01-30.jpg
winter
Colusa National Wildlife Refuge
winter

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

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winter

Butte County

Where to Go Birding
Snow Goose Daniel Lee Brown 2015-01-17.jpg
winter, highly accessible
Gray Lodge Wildlife Area
winter, highly accessible

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.

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winter, highly accessible