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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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Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis) (1) CONFIRMED
- Reported Sep 09, 2026 12:45 by Armando Aispuro
- Coal Oil Point Natural Reserve (parent hotspot, if possible, use more specific hotspot), Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.8799569&<ll...>,-119.8799569 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S391380133 - Media: 1 Video, 3 Photos
- Comments: "Medium sized chunky bird with very long wings, and highly prominent and contrasting wing bars towards distal end of wings, overlapping the primaries. Body was overall buffy colored with darker face and light-gray throat band. Saw the individual three meters from my truck on the road between COPR and NCOS, where it was mobbed by a Red-Tailed Hawk and chased over the Oak Restoration area at COPR, flying towards the slough over the western mesa. As it flew away I made a video of its flight style, which I describe as erratic and butterfly-like, with a stiff, broad wingbeat and rocking side-to-side motions. Will add video and/ or screen shots."
Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis) (3) CONFIRMED
- Reported Sep 09, 2026 19:04 by John Deacon
- Santa Maria Mesa Road Ponds, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-120.2678132&<ll...>,-120.2678132 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S391424936 - Media: 1 Photo
- Comments: "Very warm evening. Even though eBird and BOSBC indicated that they should be gone, it seemed like a good night for Lesser Nighthawks. I arrived at the central pond at about 7:05 with sunset predicted at 7:16 p.m. Almost immediately, three LENIs flew in from the east over the vineyards and hunted this pond for about 5 minutes or so. Long, thin tails. Long, sharp wings. Pale bars near ends of wings. White throats. Herky, jerky flight while hunting over the pond."
Cocos Booby (Sula brewsteri) (2)
- Reported Sep 09, 2026 16:50 by Joel Barrett
- Santa Barbara Channel--east channel (Santa Barbara County only), Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.5149421&<ll...>,-119.5149421 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S391434236 - Comments: "1st bird was flying over a pod of Long-beaked Common Dolphins. Feeding and cruising around. Landed a few times. Typical near adult with chocolate brown upper and white below with sharp demarcation of brown throat and upper breast to white lower breast and belly. 2nd bird was flying solo around the Southbound shipping lane. Same chocolate brown upper and white below with distinct upper breast demarcation. 2nd bird looked more like a full adult female. Interestingly, most free flying Coco’s I see away from breeding area on Santa Barbara Island are immature, or females. Males with frosted heads seem rarely encountered. Last big irruption of Coco’s Booby several years back did have some frosted headed males that ended up on Scorpion Rock and I believe Anacapa."
Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) (2) CONFIRMED
- Reported Sep 09, 2026 08:27 by Zach Nett
- La Cumbre Peak, Santa Barbara, California
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&<q...>,-119.7147721&<ll...>,-119.7147721 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S391359965 - Comments: "around 8:50 from the road, nick and sophie saw 10-15 in the distance approaching from the east. we moved into the pines because they crossed the road and looked to be passing on the south side of the peak. I was able to see two in close range flying directly above me in the pines, but didn’t get a glimpse of the others. distinct grey bird with black beak and wings, white undertail. nonvocal. no other groups in the following fifty minutes I stuck around."
eBird Alerts provide recent reports of regionally or seasonally rare species (Rarities Alerts) or species you have not yet observed (Needs Alerts) in your region of interest; both Accepted and Unreviewed observations are included. Some reports may be from private property or inaccessible to the general public. It is the responsibility of every eBirder to be aware of and respectful of access restrictions. For more information, see our Terms of Use: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/terms-of-use/
