Birds

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Local Hotspots

With well over 400 species recorded, Sonoma County offers some of the best birding in the country. See the maps for locations of favorite hotspots in the county. More »

National Audubon's Christmas Bird Count is the longest running Citizen Science survey in the world. Started by Frank Chapman in Boston and New York in December, 1900, it provides critical data on population trends across North America, Hawai'i, and now areas in Central and South America as well. By participating in a CBC you make an important contribution to conservation. Audubon and other organizations use the data collected to assess the health of bird populations, which helps to guide conservation action. More »

Sonoma County Breeding Bird Atlas (SCBBA)

Madrone Audubon Society volunteers are in the third year of collecting data for a five-year breeding bird atlas survey of Sonoma County. The first breeding bird atlas survey, compiled in 1995, provided valuable information on which species (out of the 394 species recorded in the county at the time) were breeding: a total of 159 species were found. Almost of the labor was completed by dedicated volunteers - over 100 birders spent over 4,000 hours in the field collecting the data for this survey, followed by many more hours analyzing the results, editing and producing the final 204 page report. More »

Attracting Birds

Read what you can do to attract wildlife to your yard: how to provide shelter, things to eat, and clean water. See the plant list of beneficial species for the Sonoma County area to plan your garden. More »

Carved Bird Pins

Starting in the early 1970's, Charter Madrone Audubon member Tom Olds began carving and painting bird pins to raise money for the chapter. After his death in 1975, members Nick Givens (carver) and Marge McCulley (painter) continued the tradition. More »