Birds in the Golden Gate National Parks

Colorful Anna's hummingbird perched on a branch with red flowers.

Learn more about birds in the Golden Gate National Parks.

More about birds

A great horned owl.
Article
By Jainita Patel San Francisco Park Stewardship Intern It’s March and you know what that means—bird season! Soon, Lands End will be covered in passing migratory birds of all colors, shapes, and sizes. However, one particular bird caught my eye last month and it wasn’t a migratory bird—and it wasn’t...
An Anna's hummingbird.
Article
Take a minute to read a poem about a beautiful bird we see throughout our San Mateo park sites.
A Peregrine Falcon defends its nest at the UC Berkeley Campanile tower.
Article
By now, you might have heard about the nesting pair of Peregrine Falcons discovered at UC Berkeley in 2017. Wouldn’t it be great if we could get a closer look?
A White-Tailed Kite in flight.
Article
The White-Tailed Kite is a beautiful predatory raptor that has recently been spotted at various parklands in San Mateo. Read more about the role this bird plays in its ecosystem and why I think it is so special.
Allen's Hummingbird
Conservation
What kind of bird are you? Find out with our scientifically dubious but finely feathered personality quiz, based on distinct avian phenotypes!
GGRO bander Ari La Porte examines a Sharp-shinned Hawk
Our Work
Specially trained volunteers sit in small blinds in the hills of the Headlands, trapping and banding raptors and taking measurements and health data.
Two hawkwatchers scan the west quadrant
Our Work
During the autumn months, our teams of volunteer hawk counters identify and tally 19 species of birds of prey, working under the leadership of an experienced dayleader.
Hawk watch
Our Work

Golden Gate Raptor Observatory

Thousands of raptors fly over Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands, and hundreds of volunteers stand atop to count them.
Red-tailed Hawk monitoring
Our Work

Golden Gate Raptor Observatory

In 2012, the GGRO is able to use brand-new technology to help us track bird movements.
Hawk Hill
Our Work
Raptor tracking provides a more complete picture of raptor movements between banding and recovery
bird watching
Park E-Ventures Article
When volunteer Christina Cambie “migrated” from England, she had no idea she would find comfort and community in her new home by studying another migration—that of raptors over Hawk Hill.
Turkey Vulture
Park E-Ventures Article
Here’s one “turkey” you might not want around your Thanksgiving dinner. The Turkey Vulture defecates on its feet, vomits as a defense, and feasts on carcasses. But it’s also one of the most fascinating animals in our parks. Learn how the GGRO is trying to unravel its mysteries.