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Thank you for subscribing to the <daily> San Luis Obispo County Rare Bird Alert. The report below shows observations of rare birds in San Luis Obispo County. View or unsubscribe to this alert at https://ebird.org/alert/summary?sid=SN36231 NOTE: all sightings are UNCONFIRMED unless indicated.
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Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) (2)
- Reported Jul 23, 2026 08:13 by Kathi Marston
- Morro Bay Sandspit, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.8670158&<ll...>,-120.8670158 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S375555928 - Media: 8 Photos
- Comments: "2 Female Mergansers with very narrow pink bills & crazy hairdos. 1 flew past me going in the opposite direction and then I encountered another one a while later. Photographed both."
Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jul 23, 2026 13:56 by Mike Bush
- Arroyo Grande Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6287241&<ll...>,-120.6287241 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S375636403 - Media: 11 Photos
- Comments: "First county record** This apparent adult bird was found earlier in the afternoon by Luke Jensen and remained here at least to when we left. The bird tended toward the edges of the Elegant Tern flock where it stood out because of its dark upper parts and black bill. It had a white forehead, white around the shoulder, and a dark line from the crown through the eye and to the bill. It appeared long-winged while resting. In flight, the primaries and secondaries were dark and the tail was forked. This bird is on the California Bird Records Committee Review List. (Photos)"
Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jul 23, 2026 13:56 by Tom Edell
- Arroyo Grande Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6287241&<ll...>,-120.6287241 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S375610712 - Media: 11 Photos
- Comments: "First county record** This apparent adult bird was found earlier in the afternoon by Luke Jensen and remained here at least to when we left. The bird tended toward the edges of the Elegant Tern flock where it stood out because of its dark upper parts and black bill. It had a white forehead, white around the shoulder, and a dark line from the crown through the eye and to the bill. It appeared long-winged while resting. In flight, the primaries and secondaries were dark and the tail was forked. This bird is on the California Bird Records Committee Review List. (Photos)"
Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jul 23, 2026 13:30 by Jay Carroll
- Arroyo Grande Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6287241&<ll...>,-120.6287241 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S375632965 - Media: 4 Photos
- Comments: "Tern with solid black upperparts and cap, white below, and white on forehead that did not extend behind the eyes, and thin black bill; in flight with deep wingbeats the long tapered wings showed mostly grayish primaries below, and the tail was forked; it mostly stayed on the margin of a large flock of Elegant Terns that flushed several times only to reassemble on the upper beach adjacent to the creek lagoon; photos."
Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jul 23, 2026 13:02 by Ann Stockert
- Arroyo Grande Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6287241&<ll...>,-120.6287241 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S375636214 - Media: 16 Photos
- Comments: "Distinctly larger than a nearby Common Tern. This was an adult with a jet-black back, black cap, white forehead, solid black loral-line, clean white underside, and all dark primaries below with white coverts. Lack of a pale collar and broken loral-line ruled out a Bridled. Photos"
Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jul 23, 2026 12:57 by Mark Mushkat
- Arroyo Grande Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6287241&<ll...>,-120.6287241 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S375575003 - Media: 3 Photos
- Comments: "Found by Luke Jensen in a resting flock of hundreds of terns. Above, black from crown to forked tail tips. Underparts white. White v shaped forehead, black bill comparable to length of nearby ELTE."
Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Jul 23, 2026 11:00 by Luke Jensen
- Arroyo Grande Creek mouth, San Luis Obispo, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.6287241&<ll...>,-120.6287241 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S375585695 - Media: 3 Videos, 20 Photos
- Comments: "Found in large tern flock at 11:06 Am. Strikingly darker and smaller than other terns around it. Darker and bigger bridled tern. Couldn’t believe my eyes when I found it. I am sure others will have more details like Herb, KH and maybe Barry and others. Pictures and short video clips will be posted in a few hours."
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