Birds in the Golden Gate National Parks

Learn more about birds and birding in the parks.

A Peregrine Falcon fledgling looks at the screen, while its mother feeds the rest of the chicks with her tail to the camera.
Parks

Recap of the 2024 Peregrine Falcon nesting season on Alcatraz Island

Enjoy this recap of the 2024 Peregrine Falcon nesting season.
Portrait of birder Daniela Sánchez with binoculars on a birding trip.
Gateways Article
Many people flock to birding because they love birds' beautiful plumage, their intricate songs, or their entertaining antics. For Daniela Sánchez, it was serendipity.
Peregrine Falcon with chicks
Parks
For the first time, you can see the fledgling family of Peregrine Falcons growing up on Alcatraz! See expert tips how to spot these birds of prey while visiting the island.
A brownish Red-tailed hawk perches on green evergreen branches with a blue sky background.
Conservation
Anticoagulant rodenticides (AR) are used to control pests, but secondary exposure can affect non-target species like raptors. Researchers tested juvenile Red-tailed Hawks to learn more.
A small bird sits in the center on a branch with a white sky background and many green oak leaves and brownish twigs below.
Conservation
Data from seven fall raptor migration sites show that not only have kestrel numbers have been declining across North America, they've also been getting smaller.
A woman in a purple coat stands at the right of the photo with arm extended. A brown & cream hawk flies with wings extended on left. Background is a partly cloudy sky with the Golden Gate bridge and San Francisco Bay, and in the foreground green shrubs
Conservation
Red-tailed Hawks are common raptors in the Bay Area, yet males and females can be difficult to tell apart. Researchers used DNA and small differences in size to better understand their migration.
Close-up of a kestrel's face.
Conservation
At GGRO, we observe that female raptors typically migrate before males and juveniles typically migrate before adults. How does this compare to findings at other observation stations?
A white and brown Broad-winged Hawk soars against a blue sky.
Conservation
We don't know much about Broad-winged Hawks' migration along the Pacific Flyway, so GGRO volunteers tracked the journeys of five. Where did they go?
Parks
Tune into the livestream from The Rock to see their fledgling Peregrine Falcon family grow before your very eyes.
A brown-colored Merlin flying wings spread against a pale blue sky
Conservation
A novel technique collecting songbird DNA from migratory raptors, and using DNA barcoding to identify prey species, helps quantify raptor diet during migration and track trends through time.