25 Birds of the Redwood Forest & Russian River (Spring Edition)

Coast redwoods and douglas-firs dominate our home patch near the Russian River in Northern California. A short distance from our front door, we can view the river from above and can also access a fire road that winds through the mixed evergreen forest. With spring breeding season in full swing, we wanted to share some species we’re fortunate to observe on a typical walk.

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Up first are seven species only seen during the breeding months.

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1. Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Pacific-slope Flycatchers announce their arrival in our neighborhood with a distinctive “hey-you” whistle from the shady forest. Often perched motionless, they can be difficult to spot unless you catch a glimpse of movement. Once spotted, this olive- and yellow-colored flycatcher reveals a peaked head and a white eye-ring shaped like a sideways-teardrop.
 
Listen to the Pacific-slope Flycatcher’s classic “hey-you” call here.

Listen to the Pacific-slope Flycatcher’s song here.

2. Wilson’s Warbler

Wilson’s Warbler’s arrival each spring always puts a giant smile on our faces. This beady-eyed, toupée-wearing, bright-yellow bird is very vocal throughout its nesting cycle. Following our ears has led us to discover parents diving into blackberry tangles to feed hidden fledglings. Read more about our favorite local warbler here: Our Beloved Willy Warbs.
 
Listen to the Wilson’s Warbler’s song here.

3. Orange-crowned Warbler

Orange-crowned Warblers are often found flitting around in low, dense vegetation. They sport a plain olive-yellow plumage, with a faint eyeline and a sharp bill. The orange crown for which they are named is rarely visible. The number of OC Warblers in our neighborhood fluctuates from year-to-year, but one particular sunny spot on our walk attracts a singing male each spring – could it be the same individual?
 
Listen to the Orange-crowned Warbler’s song here.

4. Hermit Warbler

Hermit Warblers can be quite difficult to see since they like to occupy the higher reaches of our mixed evergreen forest. The male’s bright yellow face contrasts brilliantly with his jet-black throat. This species has been quite consistent in its arrival in our patch over the past few years: April 19 (2020), April 18 (2019), and April 22 (2018).
 
Listen to the Hermit Warbler’s song here.

5. Black-headed Grosbeak

Much to our delight, there’s a bumper crop of Black-headed Grosbeaks around our house this spring. With our windows open, we hear the sweet, whistled serenade all day long! This grosbeak looks just as wonderful as it sounds, with a gorgeous mix of orange, soft yellow, and bold black-and-white. Females are more muted, but equally breathtaking.
 
Learn how to identify its up-and-down song here: Birding By Ear Lesson #2: Song Comparison of American Robin, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Western Tanager
 
Listen to the Black-headed Grosbeak’s operatic song here.

6. Northern Rough-winged Swallow

This plain and fuzzy swallow holds a special place in our hearts after a pair nested in our dryer vent a couple summers ago. (Read the story here: The Heartwarming and Heartbreaking Story of Billy Gene and Billie Jean, Our Nesting Pair of Northern Rough-winged Swallows.) We love to watch these masters-of-agility swoop low over the river, grabbing insects and skimming the water’s surface to get a drink at top speed.
 
Listen here to a Northern Rough-winged Swallow zipping around over our deck.

7. Violet-green Swallow

The Violet-green Swallow’s name evokes the brilliant colors that adorn this bird. Still, the colorful name doesn’t do justice to this resplendent acrobat. When the sun illuminates these tiny sky ballerinas as they dance effortlessly in a dizzying whirlwind of glides and flutters, one forgets the worldly name bestowed upon these otherworldly beings and instead just delights in the show.
 
Listen to the calls of a group of Violet-green Swallows here.

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And now for the rest… The following species are present in our patch year-round.

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8. Band-tailed Pigeon

This large “forest pigeon” has quite the special presence. We often see Band-tailed Pigeons flying to-and-fro high above the forest, flapping with steady and powerful wingbeats. Occasionally, a bird discovers our neighbor’s feeder, but skittishly flees in a burst of wing-flaps when it glimpses our gaze.
 
Listen to the Band-tailed Pigeon’s advertising coo here.

9. Turkey Vulture

Oh, Turkey Vulture, how do we love thee?! Who would clean up roadkill on these rural roads, if not for you? A neighborhood walk isn’t complete without one, two, or twenty of these majestic vultures soaring around catching thermal currents.

10. Osprey

The Osprey is near and dear to the Russian River’s heart. We feel so lucky to see or hear this incredible fish-hunting raptor daily. From a vantage point overlooking the river, we’re able to keep an eye on one Osprey nest that’s been used for years. A second pair hunts upriver and has a nest at a nearby beach as well.
 
Listen to the Osprey’s standard call here.

11. Belted Kingfisher

It’s not rare to see a Belted Kingfisher flying up and down the river. But recently, we discovered one hanging out along the small creek in our neighborhood as well. It may sound morbid, but we consider it an extra-special day when we get to see a kingfisher bash its prey on a perch to kill it!
 
Listen to the Belted Kingfisher’s rattle here.

12. Hairy Woodpecker

The loud, piercing “pik!” of a Hairy Woodpecker is a common sound on our walks. A few weeks ago, we spotted a male excavating a new nesting hole in a utility pole (watch here: Video of a Hard-Working Hairy Woodpecker). We’re eager to see some hungry baby woodpeckers in our near future!
 
Listen to the Hairy Woodpecker’s “pik!” call here.

13. Pileated Woodpecker

This spectacular dinosaur-of-a-bird is more often heard than seen. We typically encounter the Pileated Woodpecker deep along the forested fire road. However, we spotted one of these beauties from our deck once, and hope that someday a pair establishes its territory in the vicinity of our house.
 
Listen to a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers calling here.

14. Hutton’s Vireo

We find Hutton’s Vireos to be quite bold, often investigating our presence up close. Spring is a wonderful time to get to know the Hutton’s Vireo, since its doppelgänger the Ruby-crowned Kinglet isn’t around to confuse things.
 
Listen to a representative Hutton Vireo’s song here.

15. Steller’s Jay

A raucous staple of the redwood forest is the gorgeous Steller’s Jay. It’s easy to become desensitized to these amazing birds due to their omnipresence, but we find them to be show-stoppers with their expressively peaked crests and brilliant blue coloration.
 
Listen below to a gang of noisy Steller’s Jays, and learn more about their interesting vocalizations here: Steller’s Jay Said What?!

16. Common Raven

Common Ravens are often heard “bronk-bronk-bronk“-ing wherever they go. But in breeding season, when ravens go uncharacteristically silent, we wonder what shenanigans they’re up to while stealthily gliding and hopping between trees. Are they seeking out an easy meal of unguarded eggs or nestlings?
 
Listen to the Common Raven’s classic “bronk” here.

17. Chestnut-backed Chickadee

It’s impossible not to be charmed by the Chestnut-backed Chickadee’s bold curiosity and hanging-upside-down antics. These spunky birds are abundant around us, and for that we’re thankful. In fact, we’re eager for the annual “Chickadee Explosion” where large groups of new offspring relentlessly vocalize while following their parents around. We’ve seen a lot of chickadee nesting behavior in the neighborhood – so it’ll be any day now!
 
Listen to the Chestnut-backed Chickadee’s typical call here.

18. Pygmy Nuthatch

Our necks often ache from craning to glimpse the diminutive Pygmy Nuthatch in the canopy as their sharp “pip!” calls rain down on us. We just discovered a pair investigating a nest cavity only halfway up a redwood instead of at the top. Our necks will thank us for the break while we keep an eye on this pair!
 
Listen to the Pygmy Nuthatch’s call here.

19. Brown Creeper

The heavily camouflaged, egg-shaped Brown Creeper is one of those birds that’s exhilarating to spot every time. Their foraging behavior is predictable, so once we spot one of these moving pieces of bark, we can often observe it at length as it explores a group of neighboring tree trunks. In spring, it’s always an extra thrill to watch a courting pair chasing each other in tight spirals around a tree.
 
Listen to the Brown Creeper’s song here.

20. Pacific Wren

We love watching this tiny dynamo of a bird belt out its jaw-dropping song from low in the understory. In spring, walking through our forested neighborhood seems to yield the Pacific Wren’s cascading song at each bend in the road. Read more about these little wonders here: Pint-sized Pacific Wren Packs a Powerful Punch!
 
Listen to the Pacific Wren’s song here.

21. Hermit Thrush

The Hermit Thrushes in our patch live up to their name in breeding season, retiring into the deeper recesses of the forest to build nests and raise young. But, the ghostly, flute-like songs reverberating through the woods reveal their hidden presence.
 
Listen to the Hermit Thrush’s song here.

22. American Robin

We love witnessing the life cycle of the American Robin. While winter brings gangs gobbling berries, spring sees them pairing off into furtive units, gliding through the redwoods and disappearing into shadows to tend to their young. Once the nestlings fledge, their spotted plumage and clumsy movements provide endless entertainment.
 
Listen to the American Robin’s song here.

23. Purple Finch

There’s something special about the Purple Finch – maybe it’s the way its spinning whirlwind of a song carries through the woods; maybe it’s the way the male’s deep raspberry color contrasts with the green trees; or maybe it’s simply because we rarely see them here in winter, so we delight in their presence during breeding season.
 
Listen to the Purple Finch’s song here.

24. Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)

Dark-eyed Juncos are usually found in gregarious flocks during winter. Once spring arrives, however, they pair off and get to work. We recently watched a male confidently sing from a perch while his mate collected nesting material below. After several rounds of singing, the male joined his mate on the ground before they both disappeared into some hillside foliage.
 
Listen to the Dark-eyed Junco’s song here.

25. Spotted Towhee

Though normally shy and secretive near the ground, Spotted Towhees in spring will hop up to exposed perches to sing their buzzy trill of a song. This affords us the ability to appreciate their bold coloration and stunning red eye.
 
Listen to the Spotted Towhee’s song here.

 
 
Check out the Winter Edition of 20 Birds of Our Patch – The Redwood Forest & Russian River as well!