Birding Resources

Breeding Bird Atlas

The Breeding Bird Atlas of Contra Costa County by Steven Glover is available for purchase. For each of the 161 species of the birds that breed in Contra Costa County, the book includes current and historical status, life history information, conservation  concerns, and range maps. The book also contains 56 beautiful drawings by Dana Gardner. This is a terrific book and a must have for birders.

This book is available for download in PDF format HERE.

You can also order your own personal hardcopy.
Price: $18.31 (includes shipping & taxes)

Click here to order online »

Order by Mail
Make your check payable to MDAS and mail to:

Steve Buffi
Treasurer
1564 Pyrenees Place
Walnut Creek, CA 94598

Please make sure to indicate “For Atlas”.

Injured Bird Guidance

If you find an injured bird, you should not necessarily pick it up. Please follow these guidelines, provided by Lindsay Wildlife Experience, which offers care and rehabilitation facilities for native California wildlife brought to its hospital in Walnut Creek. For more information, call Lindsay’s Wildlife Hotline at (925) 935-1978.

Mt. Diablo Audubon Society proudly offers financial support to Lindsay Wildlife Experience, as well as other groups that help injured birds, including WildCare, which serves Marin County, and International Bird Rescue, which takes on global projects, such as rehabilitating seabirds impacted by oil spills.

For additional rehabilitation center options, the Wildlife Rescue Directory is a free resource that allows anyone in the U.S. to find a licensed wildlife rehabilitator nearby simply entering their ZIP or city/state. You can check out the directory here: https://www.onthefeeder.com/wildlife-rescue-directory/.

Bird Banding

Banded birds can be occasionally seen upon close examination. These birds are being tracked for scientific purposes by a variety of sources. These two links include information about how to report banded birds.

Birding Northern California by Jean Richmond

The book Birding Northern California was written by the late Jean Richmond and published in 1985. This book is a guide to birding areas in northern California, many within 100 miles of the San Francisco Bay area. As a service to the birding community, Mt. Diablo Audubon scanned this book, see Birding Northern California by Jean Richmond Requires PDF reader

Note that the contents of Birding Northern California have not been revised since the book was published in 1985. This means that the road names and numbers, area codes, park names, etc. have not been updated. Validate all information from other sources prior to traveling to any site mentioned in this book.

Bay Area Audubon Chapters:

State and National Audubon Chapters

Partners

Organizations

Birding Websites

Backyard Gardening for Birds

Specialized Bird Groups

Rare Bird Reports

Bird Sounds

Birding Ethics

Birding Guides and Equipment

Bats

Information on West Nile Virus

Upcoming Field Trips

Apr 04

MDAS Field Trip — North Briones

APRIL 4 @ 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

North Briones Tuesday April 4, 8:30 – Noon This walk begins in oak woodlands with lots of spring wildflowers and birds. We then continue through grasslands ending at Sindicich Lagoons. We return the way we came, making about a 3 miles round trip with some climbing. Bring liquids & a snack if you wish. Rating: […]

Martinez CA
Apr 05

MDAS Field Trip — Orinda Connector Trail

APRIL 5 @ 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Orinda Connector Trail Wednesday, April 5, 2023, 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM A walk through an EBMUD property, requires a trail permit. If you have one bring it with you.  We walk downhill to San Pablo Creek, then toward the face of Briones Dam.  Wood Ducks are hard to find but some spring birds will […]

Orinda CA
Apr 11

MDAS Field Trip — Putah Creek at Pedrick Rd., Davis, CA

APRIL 11 @ 7:30 AM - 2:00 PM

NEW TRIP! Putah Creek at Pedrick Rd., Davis, CA. Tuesday, April 11, 7:30am to 2pm. This delightful, fairly short stretch of Putah Creek (~3/4 miles), can be very productive during Spring migration. It’s a fairly easy walk through lovely riparian right down in the creek bed. And the occasional sandy stretch will often host several […]

Davis CA
Apr 13

MDAS Field Trip — Black Diamond Mines

APRIL 13 @ 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Black Diamond Mines Thursday, April 13, 8 AM to 1 PM Black Diamond Mines is a wonderful, varied habitat but the centerpiece of this trip is a vigorous climb up through Canyon Wren habitat. Other woodland and grassland birds are also likely. Tricky footing through the wren’s rocky habitat, and no guarantees on finding them. […]

Antioch CA
Apr 17

MDAS Field Trip — Pine Canyon

APRIL 17 @ 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Pine Canyon Monday, April 17, 8 AM to 1 PM This field trip is especially good for beginning birders! Pine Canyon, which includes the Castle Rock EBRPD recreational area, and the Diablo Foothills Regional Park just beyond, provides rich habitat and resources for spring migrants passing through, as well as for many returning and nesting […]

Walnut Creek