Palo Alto Baylands
California · Southwest
Moderate
October-May
Free
Open daily, dawn to dusk
About This Location
Palo Alto Baylands is a productive birding destination in California, with 274 species recorded on eBird. This desert and chaparral habitat attracts Canada Goose, Northern Shoveler, and Gadwall among many others. The unique desert and riparian habitats support specialty species alongside wintering and migrating birds.
Location
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Notable Species
Live Bird Data
Powered by eBird / Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Notable Sightings
Rare or unusual species spotted nearby in the last 14 days
Pacific Golden-Plover
Pluvialis fulva
Lawrence's Goldfinch
Spinus lawrencei
Barrow's Goldeneye
Bucephala islandica
Green-tailed Towhee
Pipilo chlorurus
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Ferruginous Hawk
Buteo regalis
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligula
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelope
Sanderling
Calidris alba
Harlequin Duck
Histrionicus histrionicus
Cassin's Kingbird
Tyrannus vociferans
Blue-winged Teal x Northern Shoveler (hybrid)
Spatula discors x clypeata
Northern Yellow Warbler
Setophaga aestiva
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle x Audubon's)
Setophaga coronata
Recent Observations
Species reported at this location in the last 14 days
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Canvasback
Greater Scaup
Ruddy Duck
American Coot
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Black-bellied Plover
Marbled Godwit
Willet
Dunlin
Ring-billed Gull
Clark's Grebe
Snowy Egret
White-tailed Kite
Northern Harrier
Birding Tips
- 1
Start birding at dawn when desert birds are most active before the heat.
- 2
Check around water sources, which concentrate desert species.
- 3
Carry extra water and sun protection; mornings are the prime birding window.
- 4
A spotting scope is essential here — many waterbirds stay far from shore and are difficult to identify with binoculars alone.
- 5
Winter months bring peak waterfowl diversity — visit November through February for the best duck and goose viewing.
Amenities
Nearby Attractions
- Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center
- Charleston Slough
- Shoreline Park