sbcobirding.com

Dedicated to the avifauna of Santa Barbara County

Species The Santa Barbara County Bird List contains more than 500 bird species. This list is updated when new birds have been recorded in the county, or when CA Bird Records Committee decisions and taxonomic updates are published. 

 Discussion Send and receive birding reports, read announcements about local rarities, and participate in general discussion through the sbcobirding forum. This group is open to everyone with an interest in county birding. 

 eBird eBird is a real-time, online checklist program that has revolutionized the way birders report and access information about birds. Participate in citizen science! Learn more about local birds by exploring the SBA county eBird page links. 

For everything birding in Santa Barbara County:

sbcobirding.com

Global Big Day Last year, Global Big Day collected more data about birds on a single day than ever before. More than 63,000 people gathered observations on 156,000 checklists, setting new world records for a single day of birding. Global Big Day is May 10, 2025. Learn more: 

News & Events…

Channel Islands Live Webcam The Channel Islands Live Bald Eagle webcam is now online for the 2025 breeding season. Web cameras overlook nesting Bald Eagles on Santa Cruz Island 22 miles off the coast of southern California. Visit the live stream to watch nest activities, and read chat comments. 

Western Snowy Plover Beach closures are now in effect at several county beaches for the federally protected Western Snowy Plover nesting season. Access is limited at Ocean Park, Guadalupe Beach, and public beaches on Vandenberg SFB. The season is from March 1 - September 30 each year. 

A Birder’s Guide to

Santa Barbara County

Visit the Birder’s Guide for a listing of popular local birding spots. This guide aligns with the four districts in Paul Lehman’s, The Birds of Santa Barbara County, California, and includes descriptions and eBird Hotspot links. 

Santa Barbara County boasts a rich diversity of bird life and there are many places to explore. Where the Birds Are

eBird RBA The eBird Rare Bird Alert displays observations of rarities in Santa Barbara County over the past seven days. Reports include un-reviewed and reviewed/validated sightings. 

BirdingHotspots.org BirdingHotspots.org is an open-source project that provides eBird Hotspot information. Find habitat photos, birding tips, and descriptions for area Hotspots from visiting birders. 

SB Breeding Bird Study The Santa Barbara County Breeding Bird Study (BBS) provides a database of accounts of breeding bird records in the county. Contribute your own observations at this website link: 

County Statistics…

eBird

Hotspots

There are over 500 eBird Hotspots in the county. Explore all the data from these shared locations.

Total

Species

The Santa Barbara County Bird Checklist has surpassed the 500 species milestone.

Big Day

Record

A dedicated trio logged a record setting 193 species in a single day on April 25, 2008.

400 Club

You can participate in this “non- competitive” listing game. Contact the webmaster to play.

508

546

193

County Resources…

Recent Rarities

Email sbcobirding@protonmail.com

Webmaster Jamie Chavez

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 sbcobirding This website was created as a resource for everything birding in Santa Barbara County. The goal is simply to promote the activity of field birding in the county and to provide information to interested birders. If you have comments about this website or would like more information about local birding, please contact me.

sbcobirding receives the generous support of the Santa Barbara Audubon Society. For more than 50 years SBAS has helped to preserve the biological diversity of the Santa Barbara area.