Southern California Seabirds

by Mitch Heindel - © 2002

This is a primer, for quick easy reference;
a guide to when things are here, so you can better plan
and time your pelagic trips in SoCal. I'm often (too often!)
asked what can be expected a given month. So, this is based
mostly on 100 trips I've made in the last decade,
but also the published records such as Am. Birds, etc..
Some sight records and unsubmitted records are included,
when they help complete the picture or otherwise fill in the blanks.
Codes are more a reflection of chances of "seeing it", than actual
species abundance. Area concerned is roughly "Conception to Cortes"
(Pt. to Banks respectively) and out to deepside of continental shelf.
First we'll cover real pelagics, or "true seabirds"
. Generally highly oceanic, island nesters.
Littoral (and often seasonally) marine
species such as Loons, Gulls, and "Rockpipers"
will be done later (in the future).

Abundance codes used are:

C - common - should see many

U - uncommon - could see a few

R - rare - might see one or some

X - accidental - has been seen, but don't expect it

Pelagic Seabirds - Mostly species best seen
from a boat, most only seen well,
well asea. A few are littoral, and seen
more often from land (e.g., Frigates, Boobies).

X

SPECIES

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Laysan Albatross

U

U

U

U

U

U

U

U

Black-footed Albatross

U

U

C

U

U

R

U

C

Short-tailed Albatross

X

X

X

X

Northern Fulmar

C

C

C

U

R

X

X

R

R

U

C

C

Dark-rumped Petrel

X

X

Murphy's Petrel

X

R

X

Cook's Petrel

X

R

X

X

X

X

Stejneger's Petrel

X

X

Mottled Petrel

X

SPECIES

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Streaked Shearwater

X

X

Buller's Shearwater

R

U

C

R

Pink-footed Shearwater

R

R

R

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

U

Flesh-footed Shearwater

X

X

X

R

R

R

R

R

Wedge-tailed Shearwater

X

X

Sooty Shearwater

U

U

U

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

U

Short-tailed Shearwater

U

U

R

R

R

U

U

Black-vented Shearwater

C

C

C

U

R

X

R

R

U

C

C

C

Manx Shearwater

X

X

X

SPECIES

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Wilson's Storm-Petrel

X

X

X

Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Leach's Storm-Petrel

R

U

C

C

C

C

C

C

U

U

R

Ashy Storm-Petrel

X

R

R

U

C

C

C

C

C

C

U

X

Black Storm-Petrel

X

R

R

U

C

C

C

C

C

C

U

X

Least Storm-Petrel

X

X

R

U

C

U

X

Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel

X

X

Band-rumped Storm-Petrel

X

SPECIES

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

White-tailed Tropicbird

X

Red-billed Tropicbird

X

R

U

U

C

U

R

R

Red-tailed Tropicbird

?

X

X

Nazca Booby

X

?

X

Masked Booby

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Blue-footed Booby

X

X

X

Brown Booby

X

X

X

X

Red-footed Booby

X

X

X

SPECIES

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Brown Pelican

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

Magnificent Frigatebird

X

R

R

R

X

Red-necked Phalarope

X

X

R

U

C

R

R

C

C

C

U

R

Red Phalarope

C

C

C

C

C

R

R

U

C

C

C

C

South Polar Skua

X

X

R

U

U

U

X

Pomarine Jaeger

U

U

C

C

C

R

R

U

C

C

C

U

Parasitic Jaeger

U

U

U

C

U

X

X

U

C

C

U

U

Long-tailed Jaeger

X

U

U

R

X

SPECIES

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Black-legged Kittiwake

C

C

C

C

U

R

X

X

R

U

C

C

Sabine's Gull

U

C

R

U

C

U

R

Arctic Tern

R

U

R

U

U

R

X

Sooty Tern

X

X

X

X

Thick-billed Murre

X

Common Murre

U

U

U

R

R

X

X

R

U

U

Pigeon Guillemot

R

C

C

C

C

C

U

R

Marbled Murrelet

X

X

X

X

X

SPECIES

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Xantus's Murrelet

R

U

U

C

C

U

U

U

R

R

R

U

Craveri's Murrelet

X

R

U

R

Ancient Murrelet

R

R

X

X

X

Cassin's Auklet

U

C

U

C

U

R

R

U

U

C

C

Parakeet Auklet

X

Rhinoceros Auklet

C

C

C

U

R

X

X

R

U

C

C

Horned Puffin

X

X

X

Tufted Puffin

X

X

X

Hypotheticals - Multiple observer sight records (except last one)
very possibly or probably correct (Dream on).

SPECIES

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Parkinson's Petrel

X

Juan Fernandez Petrel

X

Townsend's Shearwater

X

Fregetta Petrel sp.

X

Bulwer's Petrel

X

A few notes about the list: First there are incredible fluctuations in
year to year occurrences of many species. Fulmar, Kittiwake, and C.Murre
are common one year, scarce the next. There are many idiosynchrosies which
nothing but extensive text could reveal. Guillemots are essentially only
seen at or very near the channel islands. Frigates and Boobies are better
looked for from mainland shore. Others like Albatross and Pterodromas are
mostly only seen outside the islands and the thousand fathom line. Finally,
the codes are a hybrid of actual status and abundance with actual chances
of you seeing it on a boat trip. This is not set in stone - there will be
changes as I dig up more records, and "reject" others. I welcome comments
or questions regarding the list.

birdfish@gvec.net

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