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Target Birds

The region is a well-known bird hotspot by North American terms. California is the northernmost major endemic bird area (EBA) in the hemisphere, as recognized by BirdLife International. The state of California has the highest number of recorded birds in the US and Canada, by a lead of 20. The region contains over 150 Important Bird Areas (IBA's), a major migration highway, and two species (California condor, ashy storm-petrel) considered to be among the most Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE). 
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Patterns among endemic birds include: 7 Guadalupe (and adjacent island) endemics, 2 of which are extinct; 9 mostly tied to chaparral/coastal scrub habitats; 4 closely associated with oaks; 10 of the California Current (including 5 of the Guadalupe Island endemics).
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Endemic Birds
  1. Allen's hummingbird, Selasphorus alleni (breeding)
  2. Scripps's murrelet, Synthilobramphus scripssi (breeding, Channel Island Archipelago)
  3. Guadalupe murrelet, Synthilobramphus hypoleucus (breeding - Baja Islands)
  4. Black-vented shearwater, Puffinus opisthomelas (breeding - Baja Islands)
  5. Guadalupe storm-petrel, Oceanodroma macrodactyla (probably extinct; Guadalupe Island)
  6. Ainley's storm-petrel, Oceanodroma cheimomnestes (breeding - Guadalupe Island)
  7. Townsend's storm-petrel, Oceanodroma soccorroensis (breeding - Guadalupe Island)
  8. Ashy storm-petrel, Oceanodroma homochroa
  9. California condor, Gymnogyps californianus (native range)
  10. Nuttall's woodpecker, Picoides nuttallii
  11. Guadalupe caracara, Caracara lutosa (extinct, Guadalupe Island)
  12. Island scrub-jay, Aphelocoma insularis (Santa Cruz Island)
  13. Yellow-billed magpie, Pica nuttalli (Central CA)
  14. Oak titmouse, Baelophus inornatus (seeking information on possible S. Baja population)
  15. Guadalupe junco, Junco insularis (Guadalupe Island)
  16. California thrasher, Toxostoma californica​
  17. Lawrence's goldfinch, Spinus lawrencei (breeding)
  18. Tricolored blackbird, Agelaius tricolor (most years)
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Near-Endemic Birds
  1. Mountain quail, Oreortyx pictus (native range)
  2. California quail, Callipepla californica (native range)
  3. Wrentit, Chamaea fasciata (natural range closer to endemic)
  4. Bell's sparrow, Artemisiospiza belli
  5. Thick-billed sparrow, Passerella [iliaca] megarhyncha
 
Semi-Endemic Birds
  1. Anna's hummingbird, Calypte ana (natural range may have been fully endemic)
  2. Mountain plover, Charadrius montanus (wintering; extensive in Mexico)
  3. Western gull, Larus occidentalis (breeding north to Washington)
  4. Brandt's cormorant, Phalacrocorax penicillatus (breeding; and sparse pops. north)
  5. White-headed woodpecker, Picoides albolarvatus (and scattered, rare pops.)
  6. California scrub-jay, Aphelocoma californica (and Baja Sur, S. Wash)
  7. California gnatcatcher, Polioptila californica (and Baja Sur)
  8. Le Conte's thrasher, Toxostoma lecontei (and adjacent SW deserts)
  9. Hermit warbler, Setophaga occidentalis (and north to Washington)
  10. California towhee, Melozone crissalis (and Baja Sur)
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Target Subspecies
  1. Tule Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifroms elgasi)
  2. Mount Pinos Sooty Grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus howardi)
  3. Mono Basin Sage Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus spp.)
  4. Catalina California Quail (Callipepla californica catalinensis)
  5. Red-bellied red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus elegans)
  6. California Black Rail, (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus)
  7. Light-footed Clapper Rail, (Rallus longirostris levipes)
  8. Yuma Clapper Rail, (Rallus longirostris yumanensis)
  9. California Ridgway's Rail, (Rallus ridgwayi obsoletus)
  10. Alaska Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa beringia)
  11. California Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis)
  12. California Western Screech-Owl (Otus kennicottii bendirei)
  13. Pacific Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus pacificus)
  14. Yosemite great gray owl (Strix nebulosa yosemitensis)
  15. Dusky Common Poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii californicus)
  16. Island Allen’s Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin sedentarius)
  17. California Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus bairdi)
  18. Sierra Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius daggetti)
  19. Southern White-headed Woodpecker (Picoides albolarvatus gravirostris)
  20. Island Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis insulicola)
  21. Island Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus anthonyi)
  22. San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus mearnsi)
  23. Monterey Hutton’s Vireo (Vireo huttoni huttoni)
  24. Eagle Mountain Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica cana)
  25. Island Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris insularis)
  26. Ruddy Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris rubea)
  27. Marin Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens neglectus)
  28. Santa Cruz Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens barlowi)
  29. Bailey’s Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli baileyae)
  30. Little San Bernardino Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus mohavensis)
  31. Little San Bernardino Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus sociabiliis)
  32. Monterey Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea pygmaea)
  33. Phillips’s Brown Creeper (Certhia americana phillipsi)
  34. San Diego Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus sandiegensis)
  35. Vigors’s Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii spilurus)
  36. San Clemente Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii leucophrys)
  37. Clark’s Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris clarkae)
  38. California Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus ustulatus oedicus)
  39. Ruddy Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata rufula)
  40. Monterey Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata fasciata)
  41. Northern California Thrasher (Toxostoma redivivum sonomae)
  42. San Joaquin Le Conte’s Thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei macmillanorum)
  43. San Francisco Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas sinuosa)
  44. Dusky Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata sordida)
  45. San Francisco Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus falcifer)
  46. Inyo California Towhee, (Pipilo crissalis eremophilus)
  47. California Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Aimophila ruficeps ruficeps)
  48. Santa Cruz Island Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Aimophila ruficeps obscura)
  49. Intermediate Sage Sparrow (Amphispiza belli canescens)
  50. Bryant’s Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis alaudinus)
  51. Marin Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia gouldii)
  52. Suisun Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia maxillaris)
  53. Samuels Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia samuelis)
  54. Alameda Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia pusillula)
  55. Channel Island Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia graminea)
  56. Mendocino Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia cleonensis)
  57. Heermann’s Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia heermanni)
  58. Nuttall’s White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli)
  59. Point Pinos Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis pinosus)
  60. California Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus californicus)
  61. Sierra Nevada Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis dawsoni)
  62. California Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator californica)
  63. California Blue Grosbeak (Guiraca caerulea salicaria)
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