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Thank you for subscribing to the <daily> Santa Barbara County Rare Bird Alert. The report below shows observations of rare birds in Santa Barbara County. View or unsubscribe to this alert at https://ebird.org/alert/summary?sid=SN35915 NOTE: all sightings are UNCONFIRMED unless indicated.
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Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) (4)
- Reported Dec 20, 2025 11:35 by Stephanie Leja
- UCSB--Campus Lagoon, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.845165&<ll...>,-119.845165 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S289424798 - Comments: "Females or juveniles. Brown head with fringe, strong demarcating line on neck between brown and gray. Orange bill Gray, long body.white wing patch. All in lagoon. One foraged with a horned/eared grebe. Two flew in from west."
Anna's x Costa's Hummingbird (hybrid) (Calypte anna x costae) (1)
- Reported Dec 20, 2025 08:24 by Michael Mulroy
- Romero Saddle, Los Padres National Forest, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.595269&<ll...>,-119.595269 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S289378906 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Song similar to Anna’s hummingbird male. Looked like an Anna's male except for gorget, which had a similar color and shape to a male Costa's hummingbird. I'm calling it a hybrid because of the combination of Anna's hummingbird call plus the distinctive gorget that looked like a Costa's hummingbird. Seen at approx. 34.481518°, -119.581213°"
Anna's x Costa's Hummingbird (hybrid) (Calypte anna x costae) (1)
- Reported Dec 20, 2025 07:26 by Linda Blue
- Santa Monica Creek, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.5278168&<ll...>,-119.5278168 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S289380008 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Presumably the same hybrid that John Callender has seen here the last 3 years. Seen on a bare branch at the top of a tree here: 34.41037° N, 119.52682° W"
Anna's x Costa's Hummingbird (hybrid) (Calypte anna x costae) (1)
- Reported Dec 20, 2025 07:26 by Sue Cook
- Santa Monica Creek, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.5278168&<ll...>,-119.5278168 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S289385905 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Presumably the same hybrid that John Callender has seen here the last 3 years. Seen on a bare branch at the top of a tree here: 34.41037° N, 119.52682° W"
Anna's x Costa's Hummingbird (hybrid) (Calypte anna x costae) (1)
- Reported Dec 20, 2025 07:26 by David Blue
- Santa Monica Creek, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.5278168&<ll...>,-119.5278168 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S289380007 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Presumably the same hybrid that John Callender has seen here the last 3 years. Seen on a bare branch at the top of a tree here: 34.41037° N, 119.52682° W"
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) (1)
- Reported Dec 20, 2025 09:51 by Pete Wolf
- Lake Los Carneros Park, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.84975&<ll...>,-119.84975 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S289404509 - Comments: "Continuing... to be deep in the bulrush where it is shallow. Outer edge of most bulrush is now in 4-5 ft of water. Cream colored small "heron" with brown stripes. Location: 34.44083483675128, -119.84726079729506"
Greater Pewee (Contopus pertinax) (1)
- Reported Dec 20, 2025 09:37 by Kyle Kusa
- Ennisbrook Open Space, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.6226395&<ll...>,-119.6226395 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S289380838 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Finally found it after 4 hours of birding. GRPE was observed in the eucalyptus grove in the northeast corner of the preserve. No call heard. Found it perched on a coast live oak branch, sallying about. Great looks at the distinct orange lower mandible. Photos to come."
Greater Pewee (Contopus pertinax) (1)
- Reported Dec 17, 2025 10:51 by Libby Patten
- Ennisbrook Open Space, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.6226395&<ll...>,-119.6226395 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S289432719 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Scouting for Carpinteria CBC. Bird did not vocalize. Top of first hill (coming from East Valley Lane entrance) looking north at bare snag. Typical flycatcher movement and posture perching on bare branch. Orange lower mandible. At one point, the Greater Pewee and a Black Phoebe almost collided as they went after the same flying insect. Likely the same bird returning for at least its third winter at this location. Please note that parking is not allowed on East Valley Lane."
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) (1)
- Reported Dec 20, 2025 16:08 by Eric Culbertson
- Padaro Lane, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.5743942&<ll...>,-119.5743942 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S289433968 - Comments: "Perched in eucalyptus across (south) of parking lot. High twittering call made several times. A kingbird with bright yellow underparts through breast and large bill when compared with nearby Cassin’s. Contrasting darker cap contrasts with white chin. Continuing here since December 14th."
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) (1)
- Reported Dec 19, 2025 09:17 by Meghan Branson
- Santa Barbara Zoo, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.6654409&<ll...>,-119.6654409 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S289436930 - Media: 1 Video, 4 Photos
- Comments: "Seen around the Outpost below the Bald Eagle exhibit, on the northeast edge of the zoo. Got a good view of its yellow chest, and heard its call. Audio (via video because I’m not tech savvy) and terrible (not focused) photos attached. Why was this the ONLY bird my camera didn’t focus on before it left 🤦🏼♀️"
Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) (1)
- Reported Dec 20, 2025 09:07 by Rachel Street
- Cactus Lane Tipu, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.5186087&<ll...>,-119.5186087 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S289358467 - Comments: "Very bright yellow bird with pale gray under tail. Moving actively through the canopy with a flock of yellow-rumped warblers.
Continuing in larger tipu tree by Roxanne's quilt shop."
Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) (1)
- Reported Dec 19, 2025 16:19 by Rob Farber
- Cactus Lane Tipu, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.5186087&<ll...>,-119.5186087 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S289407952 - Comments: "All yellow face and throat, white belly and undertail. Black eye , no eyering. Shortish tail. Tipu in SW corner of publick parking, Cactus Lan behind Rincon Brwng. Kim got good photos."
Grace's Warbler (Setophaga graciae) (1)
- Reported Dec 20, 2025 13:15 by Steven Gaulin
- S.E. Corner Catlin Cir. & Santa Ynez Ave, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.5263468&<ll...>,-119.5263468 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S289420933 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Medium-sized Setophaga warbler with bright yellow supercilium, sub-ocular crescent, throat and upper breast; rest of underparts bright white. Back and wings gray; wings with two prominent white bars."
Grace's Warbler (Setophaga graciae) (1)
- Reported Dec 20, 2025 11:01 by Caleb P.
- Santa Monica Creek, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.5278168&<ll...>,-119.5278168 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S289385602 - Media: 2 Photos
- Comments: "Continuing warbler in NW area of Catlin Cir. Gray on top with bright yellow face and throat, pale underneath with a bit of dark streaking on flanks. A couple of poor obscured photos to be added. First reported by John C. earlier in the week."
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