Picture of a male and female Quail on a garden benchCalifornia Native Bird Gardening

You can attract California birds by providing water, food, nesting sites and foraging habitats by way of utilizing California native plants. Find out what specific plant or plants a bird uses. 

Click on the bird's name to learn more about its habitat, the California native plants it uses, and to see pictures!

If there is no link on a bird it means we have not written the page yet.

Babblers (Timaliidae)

Wrentit in the bath
Wrentit
, Chamaea fasciata




Blackbirds (Family Icteridae)

Western Meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta

Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus

Tricolored Blackbird, Agelaius tricolor

Brown-Headed Cowbird, Molothrus ater

Bullock's Oriole, Icterus bullockii

Brewers blackbirdBrewer's Blackbird, Euphagus cyanocephalus

Hooded oriole is a California birdHooded Oriole, Icterus cucullatus


Cardinals (Family Cardinalidae)

Grosebeak is a California birdBlack-headed Grosbeak, Pheucticus melanocephalus

Blue Grosbeak, Guiraca caerulea

bushtit in a daisy

Lazuli Bunting, Passerina amoena


Bushtits (Family Aegithalidae)

Bushtit is a native bird Bushtit, Psaltriparus minimus


Chickadees and Titmice (Family Paridae)

Titmouses and titcats? Oak Titmouse, Baeolophus inornatus

Mountain Chickadee, Poecile gambeli

Chickadees are nativeChestnut-backed Chickadee, Poecile rufescens


Creepers (Family Certhiidae)

Brown Creeper, Certhia americana


Finches (Family Fringillidae)


American Goldfinch, Carduelis tristis

House Finch, Carpodacus mexicanus

Red Crossbill, Loxia leucoptera


Purple Finch, Carpodacus purpureus

Lawrence's Goldfinch, Carduelis lawrencei

Lesser Goldfinch, Carduelis psaltria

picture of lesser goldfinches at the birbath

Pine Siskin , Carduelis pinus



Flycatchers, Tyrant (Family Tyrannidae)

Olive-sided Flycatcher, Contopus cooperi

Western Wood-Pewee, Contopus sordidulus

Hammond's Flycatcher, Empidonax hammondii

Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Empidonax difficilis

Dusky Flycatcher, Empidonax oberholseri

Ash-throated Flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascensAsh throated Flycatcher

Western Kingbird, Tyrannus verticalis

Cassin's Kingbird, Tyrannus vociferans



Black PhoebeBlack Phoebe, Sayornis nigricans

Say's Phoebe, Sayornis saya



Hummingbirds (Family Trochilidae)

Anna's Hummingbird, Calypte anna



Allen's Hummingbird, Selasphorus sasin

Black-chinned Hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri

Costa's Hummingbird, Calypte costae

Rufous Hummingbird,Selasphorus rufus


Crows, Jays, & Magpies (Family Corvidae)

Steller's Jay, Cyanocitta stelleri

Western Scrub-Jay, Aphelocoma californica

Yellow-billed Magpie, Pica nuttalli

American Crow, Corvus Caurinus

Common Raven, Corvus corax


Picture of a California Thrasher

King Fishers (Family Alcedinidae)

Belted Kingfisher, Ceryle alcyon


Kinglets (Family Regulidae)

Golden-crowned Kinglet, Regulus satrapa

Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula A Ruby Kinglet is REALLY cute.

Larks (Family Alaudidae)

Horned Lark, Eremophila alpestris


Mocking birds &Thrashers (Family Mimidae)

Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos

California Thrasher, Toxostoma Curvirostre

Nuthatches (Family Sittidae)

White-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis

Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis

Pigeons and Doves (Family Columbidae)

Band-tailed Pigeon, Columba fasciata

Rock Dove, Columba livia

Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura


Quail, New World (Family Odontophoridae)

California Quail, Callipepla californica The proud quail

Mountain Quail, Oreortyx pictus

california quail have very strong legs

Shrikes (Family Laniidae)

Loggerhead Shrike, Lanius ludovicianusLoggerhead shrike looks kinda like a bluejay.


Silky-flycatchers (Family Ptilogonatidae)

Phainopepla, Phainopepla nitensPhainopela is really a cool bird.


Sparrows & Towhees (Family Emberizidae)

California Towhee, Pipilo crissalis

Chipping Sparrow, Spizella passerina

Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus

Lark Sparrow, Chondestes grammacus

Fox Sparrow, Passerella iliaca

Sage Sparrow, Amphispiza belli

Rufus-crowned Sparrow, Aimophila ruficeps

Savanna Sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis

Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia

Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis

White crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrysSparrow surfing?

Golden Crown Sparrow, Zonotrichia atricapilla

Swallows (Family Hirundinidae)



Tree Swallow, Tachycineta cyaneoviridis

Violet-green Swallow, Tachycineta thalassina

picture of a western bluebird at the birdbath

Purple Martin, Progne subis

Cliff Swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Stelgidopteryx serripennis

Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica

Tanagers (Family Thraupidae)

Western Tanager, Piranga ludoviciana


Thrushes (Family Turdidae)

Western Bluebird, Sialia mexicanaA blue bird on a nest box.

Swainson's Thrush, Catharus ustulatus

Hermit Thrush, Catharus guttatus

American Robin, Turdus migratorius


Vireos (Family Vireonidae)

Bell's Vireo, Vireo bellii

Hutton's Vireo, Vireo huttoni

Cassin's Vireo, Vireo cassinii

Warbling Vireo, Vireo gilvus

Waxwings (Family Bombycillidae)

Cedar Waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum




Wood-Warblers (Family Parulidae)

Orange-crowned Warbler, Vermivora celata

Nashville Warbler, Vermivora ruficapilla

Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dendroica coronata

Black-throated Gray Warbler, Dendroica nigrescens

Townsend's Warbler, Dendroica townsendi

Hermit Warbler, Dendroica occidentalis

Yellow Warbler, Dendroica petechia

MacGillivray's Warbler, Oporornis tolmiei

Wilson's Warbler, Wilsonia canadensis

Common Yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas

Yellow-breasted Chat, Icteria virens

picture of a northern flicker

Woodpeckers and Sapsuckers (Family Picidae)

Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Picoides scalaris

Nuttall's Woodpecker, Picoides nuttallii

Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens

Hairy Woodpecker, Picoides villosus

Lewis' Woodpecker, Melanerpes lewis

Acorn Woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus

Red-naped Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus nuchalis

Red-breasted Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus ruber

Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus

Wrens (Family Troglodytidae)

House Wren, Troglodytes aedon

Winter Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes

Bewick's Wren, Thryomanes bewickii

Canyon Wren, Catherpes mexicanus

Marsh Wren, Cistothorus palustris

Rock Wren, Salpinctes obsoletus

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