Seasons in the Sea - A month-by-month guide to Central California sea life
Overview Winds, waves, and currents The open ocean Marine mammals Seabirds Kelp beds Rocky intertidal areas Sandy beaches Coastal estuaries
Overview Winds, waves, and currents The Open Ocean Marine Mammals Seabirds Kelp Beds Rocky intertidal areas Sandy Beaches Coastal estuaries
Overview Winds, waves, and currents The Open Ocean Marine Mammals Seabirds Kelp Beds Rocky intertidal areas Sandy Beaches Coastal estuaries
Overview Winds, waves, and currents The Open Ocean Marine Mammals Seabirds Kelp Beds Rocky intertidal areas Sandy Beaches Coastal estuaries
Overview Winds, waves, and currents The Open Ocean Marine Mammals Seabirds Kelp Beds Rocky intertidal areas Sandy Beaches Coastal estuaries
Overview Winds, waves, and currents The Open Ocean Marine Mammals Seabirds Kelp Beds Rocky intertidal areas Sandy Beaches Coastal estuaries
Overview Winds, waves, and currents The Open Ocean Marine Mammals Seabirds Kelp Beds Rocky intertidal areas Sandy Beaches Coastal estuaries
Overview Winds, waves, and currents The Open Ocean Marine Mammals Seabirds Kelp Beds Rocky intertidal areas Sandy Beaches Coastal estuaries
Overview Winds, waves, and currents The Open Ocean Marine Mammals Seabirds Kelp Beds Rocky intertidal areas Sandy Beaches Coastal estuaries
Overview Winds, waves, and currents The Open Ocean Marine Mammals Seabirds Kelp Beds Rocky intertidal areas Sandy Beaches Coastal estuaries
Marine Mammals Birds Fishes / Sharks Crustaceans Mollusks Echinoderms Algae / Plants
References
Search

Seasonal activities of selected
birds on the Central California Coast

Jump to:    Open-ocean birds     Coastal birds     Shore birds

Key to table shading:
Birds likely to be present Birds may be present Few or no individuals present

Open-ocean birds - yearly timelines

Jan/Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov/Dec
Common murre   (Uria aalge)
Leave MB for
rookeries		 Nesting,
Laying		 Brooding,
Hatching		 Hatching,
Fledging		 Return
to MB		      
Sooty Shearwater   (Puffinus griseus)
Migrating Arrive MBay Peak pops
in MBay		 Peak pops
in MBay		 Migrating Nesting in
S. hemi
Pink-footed Shearwater
        Arrive MBay Migrate
northward		 Congregate
in MBay		 Congregate
in MBay		    
Black-vented Shearwater   (Puffinus opisthomelas)
        Nest in
Baja Cal		   Arrive MBay Arrive MBay   Leave MBay
Red phalarope   (Phalaropus fulicaria)        Red-necked phalarope   (Phalaropus lobatus)
Begin to
Leave MB		 Leave MB Migrate
to Arctic		 Return
to MB		 Peak pops
in MB
Rhinoceros auklet   (Cerorhinca monocerata)        Cassin's auklet   (Ptychoramphus aleuticus)
Peak pops
in MB		 Begin to
Leave MB		 Leave MB for
Farallones		 Laying,
Brooding		 Brooding,
Hatching		 Feed
Offshore		 Return
to MB
 
Jan/Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov/Dec

 

Key to table shading:
Birds likely to be present Birds may be present Few or no individuals present

Coastal birds - yearly timelines

Jan/Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov/Dec
Western gull (Larus occidentalis)
Nest
building		 Laying Brooding,
Hatching		 Fledging        
Brandt's cormorant   (Phalacrocorax penicillatus)      Pelagic cormorant   (Phalacrocorax pelagicus)
Double-crested cormorant   (Phalacrocorax auritus)
Courting,
Mating		 Courting,
Nest-building		 Nest-building,
Laying		 Brooding,
Hatching		 Hatching Fledging        
Pigeon guillemot
Early
arrivals		 Arrive,
Nest building		 Nesting,
Laying		 Brooding,
Hatching		 Hatching
fledging		 Fledging Leave
coast		 Leave coast At sea
Caspian tern   (Sterna caspia)
Early
arrivals		 Nest
building		 Laying Hatching,
fledging		 Fledging Training
young		 Leave  
Forster's tern   (Sterna forsterii)
Arrive Nest
building		 Laying Hatching,
fledging		   Migrate
away		    
Brown pelican   (Pelecanus occidentalis)
Nesting in
Baja & S.Cal		 Nesting,
Migrating		 Arrive          
Horned grebe   (Podiceps auritus)        Eared grebe   (Podiceps nigricollis)
Surf scoter   (Melanitta perspicillata)        Black scoter   (Melanitta nigra)        White-winged scoter   (Melanitta fusca)
Begin
to leave		 Migrating Nest in
subArctic		         Arrive
in Nov
Pacific loon   (Gavia pacifica)        Common loon   (Gavia immer)       
Red-throated loon   (Gavia stellata)        Arctic loon   (Ptychoramphus aleuticus)
Leave Nest in
subarctic		 Start to
return		 Most return Common
inner MB
Western grebe   (Aechmophorus occidentalis)        Clark's grebe   (Aechmophorus clarkii)
peak in MB
then leave		 Nesting
in prairie		 Start
to return		 Return
 
Jan/Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov/Dec

 

Key to table shading:
Birds likely to be present Birds may be present Few or no individuals present

Shore birds - yearly timelines

Jan/Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov/Dec
Snowy plover   (Charadrius nivosus)
Begin
nesting		 Nesting
1st hatching		 Nesting
1st fledging		 Nesting Nesting
2nd hatching		 Nesting
2nd fledging
Black oystercatcher   (Haematopus bachmani)
Flocking Courting,
mating		 Courting,
mating		 Laying Laying,
hatching		 Hatching,
Fledging		 Hatching,
Fledging		 Fledging
Black turnstone   (Arenaria melanocephala)        Surfbird   (Aphriza virgata)
Peak
migration		 Nesting
in Alaska		 Peak
migration
Sanderling   (Calidris alba)        Western sandpiper   (Calidris mauri,)
Peak
migration		 Nesting
in subArctic		 Return
Western Willet   (Tringa semipalmata)        Marbled godwit   (Limosa fedoa)
Peak
migration		 Nesting
in N plains		 Peak
migration
Whimbrel   (Numenius phaeopus)
Peak
migration		 Nesting
in subArctic		 Peak
migration		 End
migration
 
Jan/Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov/Dec
    All text © Kim Fulton-Bennett                About            Contact            Disclaimer