Santa Cruz Bird Club

10/16/2026

Did you know we have guest speakers that cover a variety of bird related topics at our meetings?

SCBC's next meeting on Thursday, October 22nd at Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History from 7-9pm is going to host Julie Chase whose broad research interests surround the conservation of endangered species and how we can learn from urban-adaptable species, particularly from cognitively complex species like corvids. Her professional and academic career has wound its way through engineering, neuroscience, conservation and behavioral ecology, animal cognition, social science, and human psychology, giving her a unique viewpoint that she uses to tackle conservation issues.

This talk will give a broad overview of the Corvus genus, with a focus on California species, including their place in history and mythology, identification, general ecology, specialized behavior and cognition, and common questions. 🐦‍⬛

See you there! 👀

10/07/2026

10/07/2026

The fall migration is ON, and Santa Cruz County has been getting some fantastic visitors. Are you keeping your eyes peeled? 👀

09/25/2026

We have t-shirts!

This was announced at our annual picnic but we thought it might be good to send a reminder. Our order window closes on the 30th, so if you want one ya better get on it. 🤗

The link will take you to our group order online where you will place your order and it will be shipped directly to your house. Pretty neat, right? And look at that beautiful design by local artist Tanya Rogers! 😍 Chickadee, albatross, murrelet, oh my!

Please choose your preferred style and size. Orders will be shipped after order closes on September 30 for delivery to your address mid October. Shipping $9.99 per order

09/15/2026

Did you see a bunch of folks with spotting scopes, binoculars, and cameras out on West Cliff last evening?! That was us!

It was a pop up bird chase for Sooty Shearwaters, a migratory bird that pauses in the Monterey Bay for a time period to fatten up along its route. We got to see a small number of the flock as they headed East towards Capitola. Hard to predict where they may be at any point in time on the bay!

Per Cornell lab of Ornithology:

One of the most widespread and numerous of all pelagic seabirds, the Sooty Shearwater is an unassuming, dark brown bird with silvery flashes in the underwing. With stiff wingbeats they fly low over the ocean ("shearing" the water), using wind power to glide long distances. They often pursue prey deep underwater, flapping their wings for power. Sooty Shearwaters nest in the Southern Hemisphere and migrate in vast numbers to the Northern Hemisphere, tracing a figure-8 journey that covers about 40,000 miles in a single year.

09/14/2026

Wowie!! Great news!

09/09/2026

This past weekend began a full week for California Biodiversity!! We went birding, of course. But lots of other opportunities are out there to help achieve the the goal of conserving 30% of California's lands and coastal waters by 2030.

How will you contribute? 🦉🐝🪰🐢🐍

California Biodiversity Day events kick off this weekend! 📅😎 This bulletin was sent at 09/03/2026 03:17 PM PDT View as a web page / share September 2026 Discover Events Across California California Biodiversity Day highlights the incredible nature that makes our state unique, with in-person an...

09/04/2026

Our club has teamed up with three other fantastic local organizations to host a series of educational walks on the San Lorenzo River. Lots of great topics to be covered and it's free! Link to register with the Coastal Watershed Council is on our website, santacruzbirdclub.org, under Upcoming Events. Hope to see you there! 🪶🌱💧

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Coastal Watershed Council
Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project