Why does San Diego have so many birds?
San Diego County is known as a "biological hotspot" and this is due primarily to a combination of diverse climates, topography, soils, its position on the coast, and being part of a migration corridor. These factors result in a fantastically diverse biota. San Diego County has a Mediterranean climate, which is characterized by warm-to-hot and dry summers, and mild-to-cool, wet winters. As far as geography, it's a mix of coastal areas bordered by the Pacific Ocean, foothills, mountains, and desert. This results in many different habitats. For more information on this, see this article, "San Diego County as Habitat for Birds"
San Diego County has birding for all seasons; for a brief description of what birds you may encounter each month, please see Birding by Season
Birding Hotspots
North County, with all its lagoons, beaches, and varied coastal and inland habitats, has a lot to offer for birdwatching. Our "Birding Hotspots" brochure describes over a dozen locations for birding in North County
Some of our favorite North County birding locations are described below
Buena Vista Lagoon
Whelan Lake Bird Sanctuary
NOTE: Please call the caretaker, Greg Kackstetter, to arrange times to visit Whelan Lake: (760) 722-4887
San Elijo Lagoon
Agua Hedionda Lagoon
Batiquitos Lagoon
Guajome County Park
Want to Visit a Site with a Group?
We have lots of birding field trips around San Diego County! Please check out our Birding Opportunities webpage and Events Calendar for more details.
Donations that make a difference!
Your donation will help us further our mission of providing nature-based education to local children, offering birding classes and other programs, protecting and restoring North County wildlife habitats, and more!
Our Mission
To protect and preserve our region's birds, biodiversity, and threatened habitats, and to promote conservation of our natural resources through advocacy, education, and both habitat restoration and management.
Mailing Address
Buena Vista Audubon
PO Box 480
Oceanside, CA 92049
Nature Center
2202 S. Coast Highway
Oceanside, CA 92054
760-439-BIRD
(760-439-2473)
Hours
Sunday10 am-1 pm*
Monday 10 am-1 pm*
Tuesday 10 am-1 pm*
Wednesday 10 am-1 pm*
Thursday 10 am-1 pm*
Friday 10 am-1 pm*
Saturday 10 am-1 pm*
*Hours may vary, as the NC is hosted by volunteers (please call the NC prior to visiting to ensure a host is present).