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Santa Barbara
County
Birder's Guide
From mountainous backcountry and semi-desert scrub, to
coastal wetlands and rocky coastline, Santa Barbara County
boasts a rich diversity of birdlife. Strategically positioned
along the Pacific Flyway, a large number of land and seabirds
migrate through this part of North America each spring and
fall. Common western birds and
seasonal
rarities can be found in offshore waters, local mountains and at many of the coastal migrant traps. In
addition, endemic birds unique to this part of the continent
are found here.
This online guide generally follows the four mainland "Districts" published in Paul Lehman's, "The Birds of Santa
Barbara County, California" (UCSB, 1994). These
districts align with the geographic topography of Santa
Barbara County and include the coastal plain
(separated North and South), interior
lowlands, mountains, and the Cuyama Valley. The only addition
here is a page on pelagic birding and the Channel Islands.
This Guide will take you to many of the best sites known to
local birders. It is complete with directions, map links, and
contains a short list of some of the more unusual birds that
have been found at each site. The Google map links can be
zoomed in for detail or out to locate alternate routes, viewed
in topographical relief, and satellite imagery. All maps can
also be viewed in Google Earth from a link on each map page.
Be sure to click "Back" to return to the Guide. Highway 101 is
typically listed as a point of
origin when directions are given to specific sites. These
pages follow a north to south, west to east layout. There are many more places to explore within the
county. Places yet to be discovered. You can contribute to
this guide by providing information about other great birding
sites.
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