Atlas Dispatch: Jan 8-31, 2026 Rewind

And just like that we've wrapped up the first month of the California Bird Atlas! In January, nearly 1,400 atlasers submitted more than 15,000 checklists to the project. Atlasers covered 2,664 blocks and submitted nearly 25,000 observations with breeding codes. Checklists came in from 57 of California's 58 counties (Alpine—you're next!). In total, atlasers counted more than4 million individual birds! This remarkable effort is building a rich dataset on early breeding activity across the state.

Jump to section:

• Atlas firsts
• Reports from the field
• Before you hit “Submit”
• What else is new?
• Featured photos

Atlas firsts:

In these early Atlas Dispatches, we’ve been highlighting Atlas-first confirmed breeding observations for each species. At last check on January 7th, 15 species had already been recorded as confirmed breeders. Since then we've collectively added another 45 more! Eternal bragging rights go to each of the atlasers mentioned below:

16. Red-shouldered Hawk – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Carrie BK at Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, Los Angeles County
    “One RSHA was collecting some tree foliage, while the other was vocalizing in a palm tree on the opposite side of the lake.”
17. European Starling – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Ben Kolstad at Atascadero Lake, San Luis Obispo County
18. Neotropic Cormorant – Reported occupying a nest (ON) by Samuel Bressler at Salton Sea--W Bowles Rd. (west end), Imperial County
19. Common Raven – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Anonymous eBirder, Lance Benner, Juan Olivarez, Jeffrey Fenwick, and Amit Roy at Holiday Lake, Los Angeles County
20. California Condor – Reported at a nest with young (NY) by a Wildside Nature Tours group in Kern County
21. American Barn Owl – Reported occupying a nest (ON) by Amanda Gaskin at Backyard, Orange County
22. Northern Mockingbird – Reported building a nest (NB) by Chris McCreedy at San Diego—North Park but basically South Park, San Diego County
    “F bringing material into unknown ornamental in someone’s front yard 3.2 m in 3.6 m shrub... A large twig, not lining cup yet.”
23. House Sparrow – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Chris Dean at Roy Campanella Park, Los Angeles County
    “Female House Sparrow carrying nest material at south end. Potential old/new nest site under eaves of building adjacent to south end. Pair hanging out near this site, plus another pair nearby.”
24. Scaly-breasted Munia – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Angela Johnson at Bonsall Community Park South (For CBA), San Diego County
25. Yellow-billed Magpie – Reported building a nest (NB) by John Harris, and Sal Salerno at Kerr Park, Stanislaus County
26. Mallard – Reported with recently fledged young (FL) by Elisa Fernandes at Disneyland & Disney California Adventure Park, Orange County
27. Band-tailed Pigeon – Reported occupying a nest (ON) by Holly Coates and David Coates at Monrovia Canyon Park, Los Angeles County
    “One bird that seemed to be incubating a nest, as it was present for >30 minutes on the nest. The nest was a hefty stick mound in a branch of a live oak tree. Its partner was nearby singing and also brought it a stick to add to the pile, but the nest appeared to be fully constructed and the incubating bird was quite firmly hunkered into place. Pointed out by another birder, thank you!”
28. Egyptian Goose – Reported with recently fledged young (FL) by Jonathan Rowley at La Mirada Community Regional Park, Los Angeles County
29. Brown Pelican – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Bernardo Alps at Santa Barbara Channel--Anacapa Island vicinity (VEN Co.), Ventura County
30. Mourning Dove – Reported occupying a nest (ON) by Adrian Hinkle at Western Hills Park, San Diego County
    “One sitting on poorly built stick nest 8' up a euc”
31. Costa's Hummingbird – Reported occupying a nest (ON) by Eve Martin, Patti Koger, Rob Farber, Robert Theriault at Anza-Borrego Desert SP--Palm Canyon & Campground, San Diego County
32. California Scrub-Jay – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Kimball Garrett at Saint Andrew's Abbey, Los Angeles County
    “one carrying a thin twig into a dense patch of conifers, pyracantha, etc. at west end of pond”
33. House Finch – Reported building a nest (NB) by Chris McCreedy at CBA—Imperial Beach SW | Goat Canyon, San Diego County
    “Stumbled upon F w material, accompanied by M. She dropped material, wiped bill, and both scolded me for over a minute and then left. I waited over 30 minutes but they did not return. There are many HOFI here, focusing in the patches of golden-spined cereus overgrown by chilicothe. I think she she was bringing the material to one of these patches. Another F appeared to take material out of a patch and then flew on a direct flight well over 100 m across the canyon, to the eucalyptus near the old RTHA nest.”
34. Bushtit – Reported building a nest (NB) by Jasmine Kay at Ramakrishna Monastery, Orange County
    “Pair just barely starting to build a nest in a live oak. Bringing fluff to a hanging branch, though the spot that they were depositing material was still just slightly bigger than a hummingbird nest. Seems a little early, but both birds were consistently adding material for the entire observation.”
35. California Towhee – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Anonymous eBirder at Loretto Ave, Cotati, Sonoma County
    “One bird carrying dried grass. Another very close. The one with grass flew to our fence, the other followed closely. Then they flew towards the creek. Did not see where they landed.”
36. American Crow – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Betty Kanne, Anonymous eBirder, Cassandra Margitan at Fairview Park, Costa Mesa, Orange County
37. Cooper's Hawk – Reported building a nest (NB) by Peter Beck and Christine Beck at Tijuana River Valley--Community Gardens, San Diego County
38. Tree Swallow – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Townes Stanley and Elliott S. at Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility, Sonoma County
39. Harris's Hawk – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Ian Haliburton at Jacumba--town, pond, fields, San Diego County
    “Two together in tree at Jacumba community park. One grabbed a small branch from the tree and flew North. Third individual on powerline pole next to the tree.”
40. Lesser Goldfinch – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Tou Mik at Santiago Park Playground, Orange County
41. Canada Goose – Reported with recently fledged young (FL) by Matthew Grube at Loma Linda VA Hospital, San Bernardino County
42. Double-crested Cormorant – Reported occupying a nest (ON) by Betty Kanne, Brian Bleecker, and TG Fannon at Huntington Central Park--West, Orange County
43. Golden Eagle – Reported building a nest (NB) by Jim Pawlicki at Cleveland National Forest, Pine Valley US-CA (32.7420,-116.4814), San Diego County
    “Adult pair observed copulating, and arranging material and shaping existing, previously used nest.”
44. Cactus Wren – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Andrea C at Caspers Wilderness Park, Orange County
    “One flew low bush to prickly pear with a face full of sticks”
45. American Coot – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Bart Wickel at Antonelli Pond, Santa Cruz County
46. Cocos Booby – Reported at a nest with young (NY) by Bernardo Alps at Pelagic. Island Packers. Leg 11. 33.47692 -119.05489. Bearing N, Santa Barbara County
    “The area where the boobies nest is difficult to observe due to the steep angle and back light. Photos reveal some birds sitting on nests in incubating posture and some nests with large nestlings.”
47. Western Gull – Reported occupying a nest (ON) by Bernardo Alps at Pelagic. Island Packers. Leg 11. 33.47692 -119.05489. Bearing N, Santa Barbara County
    “Many Western Gulls were scattered all over the island. Some appeared to be on staked-out territories. A few were clearly sitting on nests in incubating posture.”
48. Dark-eyed Junco – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Brian Scanlon at Highland Ave., Felton, CA, Santa Cruz County
49. Steller's Jay – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Bill Hubick, Addy Hubick, and Juniper Hubick at Big Sur--town, Monterey County
50. Black-crowned Night Heron – Reported occupying a nest (ON) by Kaia Colestock and Elias Aristides Elias at Roeding Park, Fresno County
51. Western Cattle-Egret – Reported occupying a nest (ON) by Kaia Colestock and Elias Aristides Elias at Roeding Park, Fresno County
52. Western Grebe – Reported feeding young (FY) by Steven Lima at Lake Skinner County Park, Riverside County
    “At least three half-grown chicks moving with WEGR parents. Several apparent pairs of WEGRs were investigating reed beds in some of the isolated bays near the park.”
53. LeConte's Thrasher – Reported building a nest (NB) by Chris McCreedy at Algodones Dunes--ADWZ Circle 5, Imperial County
    “Pair to nest directly in front of me, both sat in it, F may have had material, but I was watching M before she jumped in nest to mold cup. B100, above old nest, fresh material, clean cup, 2.3 m in 5.4 m Parkinsonia florida.”
54. Say's Phoebe – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Bernardo Alps at 3445-3525 Pacific Coast Highway, Torrance, California, US (33.802, -118.345), Los Angeles County
    “Bird returned to the spot of first observation after a few minutes with a beak full of fibers.”
55. Hutton's Vireo – Reported building a nest (NB) by Betty Kanne, Shipley Volunteers, TG Fannon, Jan Wilson Pehoviack, James Kendall, Lauren Nivans, Cassandra Margitan, Alessandra Curiel, and Peg Hyland at Huntington Central Park--Shipley Nature Center, Orange County
56. Peregrine Falcon – Reported occupying a nest (ON) by Andrew Vernon at Laguna Grande Park, Monterey County
57. Bewick's Wren – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Anika Balint at SDSU Native Plant Garden, San Diego County
“Two wrens at the same nest site, both with nesting material in beak.”
58. Killdeer – Reported building a nest (NB) by Ryan Ludman, Marion Farber, Sharron Miller, Charitha Bandi, Lynn Maya, Anonymous eBirder, Po-Yang Tien at Hellyer County Park, Santa Clara County
    “One was actively excavating next on ground.”
59. California Gnatcatcher – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Kevin Lapp at Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, Los Angeles County
60. White-tailed Kite – Reported carrying nesting material (CN) by Noah Eckman, Adithi Rao at Lake Lagunita (SCL Co.), Santa Clara County

Reports from the field:

Want to share a sighting? Email us at info@californiabirdatlas.org!

• Helpful comments: Kiandra Mitchell reported a Bald Eagle nest with eggs and carefully described how they were able to infer the presence of eggs (elevating this observation from ON to NE). Detailed comments like this are very helpful for reviewers!
  “One adult remained prone in the nest for the duration of my visit, standing up once after about 1.5 hours. It lowered its head and did motions consistent with rolling eggs, repositioned slightly then settled back down for the remaining time of my visit. This is typical for egg-timing at this nest in prior years. Two weeks ago they were still rearranging sticks in the nest and did not demonstrate any behaviors consistent with having eggs yet.”
• Threefer: Kaia Colestock and Elias Elias confirmed early breeding for three species on a single checklist at Roeding Park in Fresno!
• Activity picking up: Feeling jealous of all the early activity in SoCal? Your time is coming. Reporting from Oakland, Megan Jankowski says: "Locally, we mostly saw RTHA and Anna's hummingbird activity in January. In the past week it's really felt like spring. I've noticed a lot more singing and activity here in the Bay Area and I expect breeding codes to really skyrocket."

Before you hit “Submit”:

In our last dispatch, we highlighted a few common coding pitfalls, including using Carrying Food (CF) for corvids feeding themselves and Occupied Nest (ON) for birds merely visiting a probable nest site (N). Here are a few additional issues to watch for:CF (Carrying Food) applied to Osprey, Bald Eagle, and other raptors. This code implies the presence of hatched young or an incubating partner. Raptors often carry food long distances before eating it themselves. If possible, watch the bird to see whether it (a) perches to eat the food or (b) carries it to a nest, in which case the code can be upgraded to ON (Occupied Nest) or NY (Nest with Young).

H (In Appropriate Habitat) applied to birds outside of appropriate nesting habitat. Remember that this code only should be used for birds observed in suitable breeding habitat. For example, it would not be appropriate to use it for a Great Blue Heron foraging in a marsh, because they nest colonially in trees. For resident species, particularly those that can maintain territories year round (e.g. Wrentit, Oak Titmouse, Cactus Wren), this code can be used at any time of year when birds are in suitable nesting habitat. For migratory species, this code should only be used during the species’ breeding season.

This issue is amplified during the winter, when many birds have habitats that are different from those when they breed. For example, you shouldn't use H for Yellow-rumped Warblers foraging in eucalyptus stands in urban parks, as they generally breed in coniferous and mixed forests in the mountains. You may need to do some basic research to learn what constitutes breeding habitat for a species. If you have questions , please reach out. We're happy to help or connect you with someone knowledgeable.

Above left: this individual in a lowland fennel patch in December? A beautiful sight, but not a bird in appropriate breeding habitat. Above right: this one in a conifer in June at 7,000 ft? You've got yourself an H!

If you're concerned about incorrect uses of the H code, rest assured that we will be able to screen records based on location and date to help filter and re-code many problematic observations. This will generally be done in bulk on a periodic basis. You can help now by reaching out with specific patterns you've noticed ("H is commonly being applied to species X in habitat Y, even though it locally breeds in Z"). We can compile these into educational resources and address them during data filtering.

What else is new?

• Regional coordinators: We’ve been busy assembling a team of regional coordinators to help answer questions, review data, facilitate land access, and coordinate local atlasing efforts. Stay tuned for an announcement with coordinator names and contact information. If you’re interested in serving in this role, please reach out to Van at van@californiabirdatlas.org.

Featured photos

A small sample of some of the images that have recently caught our eye. Tag your own media with breeding-related behaviors for easier discovery.