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Birdsthreatened and/or endangeredAll familiesthreatened and/or endangeredCalifornia Bay-Delta Area

1-40 of 291 species page: 1 | 2 | 3 | >>
Common Loon
Gavia immer

 

28-36" (71-91 cm). Heavy-bodied, thick, pointed, usually black or dark gray bill held horizontally. Breeding plumage, head, neck black with white bands on neck; back black with white spots. In winter, crown, hindneck, upperparts dark grayish; throat, underparts white.… read more

Pacific Loon
Gavia pacifica

 

24" (61 cm). Small loon, straight slender bill. In breeding plumage, head pale gray; neck, back black with white stripes; throat black with purple reflections. In winter plumage, blackish above, white below; often shows thin "chin strap."… read more

Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellata

 

24-27" (61-69 cm). A small loon seldom seen far from salt water. In breeding plumage, has gray head and neck, rusty throat, black back spotted with white. In winter, similar to Common Loon but smaller, paler, with bill thinner, seemingly upturned.… read more

Clark's Grebe
Aechmophorus clarkii

 

22-29" (56-74 cm). Very similar to Western Grebe, but black of cap does not reach eyes, so face is largely white; bill bright yellow or orange-yellow.… read more

Western Grebe
Aechmophorus occidentalis

 

22-29" (56-74 cm). A large slender grebe with a long neck. Blackish above with black of cap extending below eyes; white below and on front of neck. Bill long, slender, greenish yellow. Long white wing stripe shows in flight.… read more

Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritus

 

12-15" (30-38 cm). Small, slender-necked, with short, sharply pointed bill. In breeding plumage, body dark, with rufous neck and flanks; head blackish, with conspicuous buff ear tufts. In winter, upperparts dark; chin and foreneck white.… read more

Red-necked Grebe
Podiceps grisegena

 

18-20" (46-51 cm). In breeding plumage, has rufous neck, black cap, whitish cheeks, and long, pointed yellowish bill. In winter, mainly gray, with paler cheeks, pale (not necessarily yellow) bill. In flight, white wing patches show.… read more

Eared Grebe
Podiceps nigricollis

 

12-14" (30-36 cm). In breeding plumage, black head, back; golden ear tufts; black crest. In winter plumage, dark gray above, white below; neck dusky. Bill appears slightly upturned, sides of face smudged with gray, whitish patch behind ear.… read more

Pied-billed Grebe
Podilymbus podiceps

 

12-15" (30-38 cm). Pigeon-sized. A stocky, uniformly brownish water bird, with stout whitish bill that has black ring around it during breeding season.… read more

Black-footed Albatross
Phoebastria nigripes (Diomedea nigripes)

28-36" (71-91 cm). W. 6'6"-7" (1.9-2.1 m). Large, very long-winged seabird. Mainly blackish brown, white on face, dark bill. Amount of white increases as birds age. Conspicuous white primary shafts show in flight.… read more

Northern Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialis

 

18" (46 cm). Seldom seen from shore. 2 common color phases: pale gray on back, wings, white elsewhere (common in East); and uniformly dark gray. Intermediates, nearly all-white birds, also occur. Bill yellow. Flight: several fast wingbeats followed by stiff-winged glide.… read more

Buller's Shearwater
Puffinus bulleri

16 1/2 -18" (42-46 cm). Blackish, wedge-shaped tail. Gray above, with distinct blackish cap; pure white underparts, wing linings. In flight, dark bar on upper surface of wings and lower back forms an M-shaped pattern.… read more

Pink-footed Shearwater
Puffinus creatopus

20" (51 cm). A gull-sized shearwater, dark gray-brown above and whitish below; undersides of wings are white with dark borders. Bill pinkish with dark tip; feet pale pink.… read more

Sooty Shearwater
Puffinus griseus

16-18" (41-46 cm). Large shearwater. In the Atlantic, only one that appears uniformly dark sooty brown above, below, with silvery whitish wing linings. Bill, feet dark. Slender, narrow-winged, skims on stiff wings over waves, alternately gliding, flapping.… read more

Short-tailed Shearwater
Puffinus tenuirostris

13-14" (33-36 cm). A dark shearwater, with dark bill and feet. Distinguished from Sooty Shearwater by slightly smaller size, dull gray (rather than whitish) wing linings, shorter tail and bill, and slightly faster wingbeat.… read more

Ashy Storm-Petrel
Oceanodroma homochroa

7 1/2" (19 cm). An all-black storm-petrel with shallowly forked tail and somewhat rounded wings. Ashy color of head and neck and light mottling on undersides of wings may be visible at close range. Flies with very shallow wingbeats.… read more

Leach's Storm-Petrel
Oceanodroma leucorhoa

 

8-9" (20-23 cm). A black storm-petrel with a shallowly forked tail and a white rump with a dark center; south of Central California, birds lack the white rump. Flies like a nighthawk, with much bounding and veering. Seldom follows boats.… read more

Black Storm-Petrel
Oceanodroma melania

9" (23 cm). Dark with long pointed wings, forked tail. Flight smooth and languid, with deeper and more graceful wingbeats, than that of other storm-petrels. Other all-dark storm-petrels are smaller, with different flight styles.… read more

Least Storm-Petrel
Oceanodroma microsoma

6" (15 cm). The smallest storm-petrel on the West Coast. An all-dark bird with short wings; tail short and wedge-shaped rather than forked. Often appears tailless at a distance. Flight swift and low, with very rapid wingbeats.… read more

American White Pelican
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

 

55-70" (1.4-1.8 m). W. 8' (2.4 m). A huge white bird with a long flat bill and black wing tips. In breeding season, has short yellowish crest on back of head and horny plate on upper mandible. Young birds duskier than adults.… read more

Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis

45-54" (1.1-1.4 m). W. 7'6" (2.3 m). Large, stocky bird, dark brown body, long flat bill. Only non-white pelican in the world. Head whitish in adults, dark brown on hindneck during breeding season. Young birds have dark brown head, whitish bellies.… read more

Double-crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus

 

30-35 (76-89 cm). Orange throat pouch and long neck. Long hooked bill tilted upward when swimming. Adults have short tuft of feathers over each eye during breeding season. In flight, the neck shows a slight crook.… read more

Pelagic Cormorant
Phalacrocorax pelagicus

 

25-30" (64-76 cm). Glossy black, dark bill, long, slender neck held out straight in flight, red throat pouch. Breeding birds have bold white spot on each flank. At close range 2 crests, fore and aft, are visible. Immature, dark brown.… read more

Brandt's Cormorant
Phalacrocorax penicillatus

33-35" (84-89 cm). Thick-necked, large-headed, black with little gloss. Breeding birds have bright cobalt-blue throat pouch bordered with yellow, and slender white plumes on face and back. Young, duller, buff colored on breast.… read more

Great Egret
Ardea alba

 

35-41" (89-104 cm). W. 4'7" (1.4 m). All-white heron with yellow bill, black legs. Breeding plumage, has long lacy plumes on back. Smaller Snowy Egret has black bill, legs, yellow feet.… read more

Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias

 

39-52" (99-132 cm). W. 5'10" (1.8 m). Large, mainly grayish heron with a pale or yellowish bill. Flies with neck folded, not extended. In southern Florida an all-white form, "Great White Heron," has greenish-yellow rather than black legs.… read more

American Bittern
Botaurus lentiginosus

 

23-34" (58-86 cm). Medium-sized, streaked brown heron. Outer wing appears blackish brown in flight, contrasting with lighter brown of inner wing and body. Adults show long black stripe down side of throat.… read more

Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibis

 

20" (51 cm). Small, stocky white heron, with buff on crown, breast, and back during breeding season. Legs pale yellow or orange in adults, blackish in some immatures. Bill short, yellow or orange; dark in juveniles. No other small white heron has a yellow bill.… read more

Green Heron
Butorides virescens

 

16-22" (41-56 cm). A dark, crow-sized heron. Crown black, back and wings dark gray-green or gray-blue (depending on lighting); neck chestnut colored. Bill dark; legs bright orange. Immatures have streaks on neck, breast, and sides.… read more

Little Blue Heron
Egretta caerulea

 

25-30" (64-76 cm). W. 3'5" (1 m). Adult slate blue with maroon neck. Bill grayish with black tip; legs greenish. Immature is white, usually with dusky tips on primaries. Snowy Egret, smaller, all white, with black bill and legs, yellow lores and feet.… read more

Snowy Egret
Egretta thula

 

20-27" (51-69 cm). W. 3'2" (97 cm). Small, white heron with a slender black bill, black legs, and yellow feet. In breeding season, it has long lacy plumes on its head, neck, and back. Immature bird has yellow stripe up back of leg.… read more

Least Bittern
Ixobrychus exilis

 

11-14" (28-36 cm). A tiny, secretive heron with blackish back and conspicuous buff wing patches and underparts. Female and young are similar but duller, more buffy.… read more

Black-crowned Night-Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax

 

23-28" (58-71 cm). W. 3'8" (1.1 m). A medium-sized, short-necked heron with black crown, back, gray wings, white underparts. Bill short, black, legs pinkish or yellowish. In breeding season it has 2 or more long white plumes on back of head.… read more

White-faced Ibis
Plegadis chihi

 

22-25" (56-64 cm). W. 3'1" (94 cm). Chestnut-bronze marsh bird with long, down-curved bill. Band of white feathers around bare face, red eyes, legs. In winter, has streaks on head, neck, brown eyes.… read more

Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura

 

25-32" (64-81 cm). W. 6' (1.8 m). Eagle-sized blackish bird, In flight, wings held upward in a wide, shallow V; rolls, sways from side to side. Flight feathers silvery below. Tail long; head small, bare, reddish; gray in immatures.… read more

Wood Duck
Aix sponsa

 

17-20" (43-51 cm). A beautiful, crested, multicolored duck. Male patterned in iridescent greens, purples, and blues with distinctive white chin patch and face stripes; bill mainly red; tail long. Female grayish with broad white eye ring.… read more

Northern Pintail
Anas acuta

 

Male, 25-29" (64-74 cm); female, 21-23" (53-58 cm). Male, brown head, white underparts, neck, white line extending onto head, grayish back, long black pointed central tail feathers. Inner wing, metallic brown. Female mottled brown, gray, slender.… read more

American Wigeon
Anas americana

 

18-23" (46-58 cm). Male is brownish with white crown, green ear patch, and bold white shoulder patches easily visible in flight. Female is mottled brown with grayish head and whitish shoulder patches. Bill pale blue in both sexes.… read more

Northern Shoveler
Anas clypeata

 

17-20" (43-51 cm). Large shovel-shaped bill. Male has green head, white body, and chestnut flanks. Female streaked brown with pale blue shoulder patches; similar to female Blue-winged Teal, but bill much larger.… read more

Green-winged Teal
Anas crecca

 

12-16" (30-41 cm). Male,chestnut head, green ear patch, flashing green inner wing, pale gray sides, pinkish breast with a vertical white stripe down the side. Female is dark brown without distinctive markings.… read more

1-40 of 291 species page: 1 | 2 | 3 | >>

 

 
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