The Alcidae is a diverse family of seabirds that can be found throughout
cooler pelagic waters of the northern hemisphere and includes the murres,
guillemots, auklets, murrelets, and puffins.
Southern California hosts a variety of species including several local
breeders and others that disperse here seasonally from regions to the north
and south. In total, more than half of the world’s 25 alcid species have
been documented off Southern California. While a few species can be seen
regularly from land, intrepid birders wanting to experience these birds
must join pelagic trips to have a chance to find most of the species that
occupy these waters.
Identification can be challenging because some species are similar in
appearance, and many avoid boats by diving or flying away quickly. Getting
good looks at these small birds in a big ocean is often not easy and
requires an extreme amount of patience. Due to their seasonality and the
rareness of some, it will take more than a few trips offshore to find the
majority of our local species.
Join Dave as he navigates us the identification challenges of the Alcid
family.
Become a LAB Member! Though our webinars will always remain free and
available to all, members of Los Angeles Birders have access to live
webinars via Zoom, invitations to special LAB-only field trips, priority
sign-up on LAB field trips & events, and discounts on paid LAB programs. To
learn more about membership, please see our website
<https://www.labirders.org/>!
Upcoming Programs
4/1/23 Valyermo and Juniper Hills Transect with Kimball Garrett (field
trip, FULL)
4/2/23 First Sundays at the Huntington with Katy Mann (members-only field
trip, signup in late March)
4/9/23 Tejon Ranch (Los Angeles County) with Frank & Susan Gilliland (field
trip, member priority sign up open soon)
4/16/23 Tejon Ranch (Kern County) with Frank & Susan Gilliland (field trip,
member priority sign up soon)
Good birding,
Rebecca Marschall for Los Angeles Birders
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