Through SFBBO's Colonial Waterbird Program, our biologists and community science volunteers have monitored populations of colony nesting waterbirds during the breeding season at more than 70 sites throughout the Bay Area. Join us to hear Larry Manning, who has been a colonial waterbird monitoring volunteer for nearly 20 years, as he discusses the history of […]

Join Barbara Coll as she walks through her garden live! As she walks around her yard, she will point out the feeders, plants, and water elements that attract the 63 species she has recorded in 30+ years of living in Menlo Park on the San Francisquito Creek. She will also discuss feeder/birdbath maintenance, the current […]

Coots are often overlooked by birders because they are so common. Dr. Bruce Lyon has been studying the reproductive antics of American coots for the past two decades and has discovered that there is far more to this bird than meets the eye. He will highlight some of his discoveries about the parental and reproductive […]

Dr. Chris Clark will present ongoing research in his lab, starting with work on how hummingbirds make sounds with their tail feathers during courtship displays. Then he will shift to ongoing research he is conducting on why owls have evolved to fly quietly. Dr. Clark grew up in Seattle where he started birdwatching at age […]

The Icteridae are the blackbirds, but they include many colorful species such as the orioles and meadowlarks as well as the all-black species, such as cowbirds and grackles. Some of the tropical species, such as the oropendolas are downright amazing-looking and sounding birds. This group of birds is only found in the Americas and they […]

Sparrows are one of the most widespread bird species across North America—but the Song Sparrows of the San Francisco Bay aren’t just any ordinary backyard bird. These birds are the only Song Sparrows equipped to survive in the harsh, inhospitable environment of the salt marsh. Each arm of the Bay is home to a different […]

Join San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory as wildlife and conservation photographer Sebastian Kennerknecht discusses the basics of bird photography, including settings, composition, equipment, how to get close to your subject, ethics, and his mental approach when photographing birds. Sebastian Kennerknecht is a wildlife and conservation photographer with over fourteen years of experience visually covering wildlife and […]

Snowy Plover Conservation in the Bay Area: Successes and Challenges in a Shifting Landscape The Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) is a federally threatened, ground-nesting shorebird species that breeds, roosts, and forages along the Pacific Coast from Southern Washington down to the tip of Baja California. While their typical habitat across the range is […]

Workshop Dates: Nov 1 & 3, 2021 6:00pm – 8:00pm $100 total per person for both sessions This workshop will be a basis to identify the wintering sparrows in California, with a focus on the Bay Area. We hope to also give you a background to understand a bit about the biology, evolutionary history, migration, […]

Workshop Dates: Nov 1 & 3, 2021 6:00pm – 8:00pm $100 total per person for both sessions This workshop will be a basis to identify the wintering sparrows in California, with a focus on the Bay Area. We hope to also give you a background to understand a bit about the biology, evolutionary history, migration, […]