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Birds in the Golden Gate National Parks

Learn more about birds and birding in the parks.

Northern Harrier
Park E-Ventures Article

The Elusive, Mystifying Northern Harrier

Follow the trials and triumphs of a Golden Gate Raptor Observatory intern, as told through several encounters with a particularly mysterious species of raptor—the Northern Harrier.
Downy Woodpecker
Park E-Ventures Article

Let’s Get Together: Mixed Species Flocks

We often think about members of a species gathered together, such as “a gaggle of geese,” or a “pack of wolves.” But there are also examples of different species coming together, often to hunt or avoid being hunted. Read on to learn about one animal alliance.
Red-tailed Hawk
Park E-Ventures Article

A Hawkwatcher’s View of the New Hawk Hill

A year ago, Monterey pines and Monterey cypresses were removed from Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands to restore endangered mission blue butterfly habitat. How did this affect the birds during fall migration?
turkey
Park E-Ventures Article

Family Dinner: Holiday Foods' Park Relatives

At your next holiday feast, impress friends and family with some fresh knowledge. Read on to learn the origins of popular holiday foods and discover their closest relatives, found in our parks. Please don’t forage for these items (quite a few are inedible)—but fill your plate with some food for...
Turkey Vulture
Park E-Ventures Article

My Friend, the Turkey Vulture

We fear them not because they would kill us, but because their mere company means we may already be dead. Our imagination conjures a thirsty miner, crawling across the desert, exhaling a last gasp, and—poof!—he is theirs. Here’s an alternate view of vultures.
hawks flying over the Golden Gate Bridge in the fog
Park E-Ventures Article

Broadwing Bonanza on Hawk Hill

On September 27, 2012, on Hawk Hill, we counted 295 Broad-winged Hawk sightings, 10 times our previous one-day count for that species. We even exceeded our season-total record—248 sightings—in just that one day. Aside from these impressive numbers, why is this exciting?
Red-tailed Hawk monitoring
Park E-Ventures Article

Red-tail, Phone Home!

This season, in 2012, the GGRO is able to use brand-new technology to help us track bird movements. On Friday, August 23 we put out a GSM (cell phone) transmitter on a female juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, nicknamed Augusta. This device utilizes a GPS device, similar to a hand-held or car...
Park E-Ventures Article

Here Again, Gone Again: Red-necked Phalaropes

For just a few weeks each year, Red-necked Phalaropes visit Rodeo Lagoon in the Marin Headlands. This brief migratory stopover for these slender shorebirds allows birders a good view of this unique species. Click to learn why these birds are so unusual.
Hands release a hawk
Park E-Ventures Article

From Intern to Program Manager: A Round-trip Migration

Parks Conservancy internships launch scientific careers! Chris Briggs was a banding intern with the GGRO in 2000. A dozen years of raptor research later, Dr. Briggs returns to the GGRO as the Banding Program Manager to take over when Buzz Hull retires.
Park E-Ventures Article

Bay Area Bald Eagles: Slow but Steady Growth for the National Bird

In the 21st century, Bald Eagles have become a more common than rare sighting in the Bay Area, mostly seen in the wintertime near a supply of ducks or fish. In the spring or summer, nesting Balds may even stake a claim near a large Bay Area lake or reservoir...