Santa Cruz Bird Club

08/20/2026

Our county had a fun visitor this past weekend- an Arctic Tern! First spotted by local Abram Fleishman and followed by many more, this cute little bird stole our hearts.

What's on your migration wishlist? 🧞‍♂️

Photo by Tom Hambleton

08/14/2026

We're so down! 👀👂🏼🐦‍⬛

Join POST and Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance for a free online event about Bay Area birds, forest habitats, bird songs, and local conservation.

08/13/2026

Thank you Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County!

08/06/2026

Good fire.

Alot of folks in our neck of the woods have trauma associated with fire and rightly so. But the prescribed burns at our local state parks are very intentional and help support our local native flora and fauna.

A recent walk up in the Sandhills above the Henry Cowell campground with park Interpreter Dylan McManus showed a group of club members various signs of benefits from good fire and taught us how resilient our ecosystem truly is. Many sections of the area have been burned over the last decade and it was amazing to see the growth that has come back and the wildlife it supports. Some plants require fire to reproduce and others need an open canopy to thrive. All things to keep in mind with prescription season.

08/04/2026

It's International Owl Awareness Day! 🦉

While they can’t turn their heads all the way around like some people believe, these fascinating creatures do have lots of spectacular features going for them! International Owl Awareness Day is here to promote public education about owls and encourage more people to support efforts to protect the...

07/31/2026

There was a better way. 🫶🏻

07/29/2026

Did you know...Black Swifts nest in sea caves off our very coast in Santa Cruz?!??

An egg collector by the name of Arthur George Vrooman accidentally discovered this in 1901 as he was collecting Pelagic Cormorant eggs. He collected a single egg along with nest to share with the science community and no one believed him. After all, it had already been declared that Black Swifts nested in warehouses, buildings, or other structures and had clutches with multiple eggs.

It wasn't until 1914, after Vrooman had repeatedly provided more evidence through the years, that another biologist accompanied Vrooman to a nest site and witnessed his findings. They shared the information and Vrooman finally got his praise. Sheesh!

Our club took a recent trip out to the cliffs to seek out these uncommon birds. Huzzah! We got to see one swift coming and going from under the cliff we were standing on.

✨What. An. Evening. ✨

07/22/2026

OoMGgg the Burrowing Owl or Snowy Plover better be in the finals!! 😍

07/20/2026

The Club will be at Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History this Saturday for Summer Fun Fest! Local vendors, food, face painting, and FALCONRY...hope to see you there!😎🌞

07/08/2026

"I would like to see the baby".

Seriously, though, show me the babies! The past couple of months have been bountiful for breeding and it's been fun getting to witness it. Just look at these little nuggets! Ok, some aren't so little...but you get the idea. 😊