Santa Clara County Spring Birds Checklist

Lately, I’ve been trying to be more attuned to the seasons changing around me when out in the field. My usual rhythm has been to take a class on a subject - say Gulls - but by the time I’ve digested the material and hit the field most of them have migrated! Developing an awareness of seasonal changes around my local area I hope will not only help with timing of subjects, but also deepen my photography with season specific moments to watch out for.

With a daunting list of birds in Santa Clara County (let alone the surrounding areas), I wanted a simplified way to know what to expect as the season unfolds into Spring. To help, I made a simple Spring Birds Checklist. It’s based on the 2025 bird list published by Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance, and filtered to include birds that are rated a rarity of 3 or lower — keeping the focus on the most likely species in the county. Let me know if you see any!