San Diego, California

California Quail © Craig Rasmussen/Macaulay Library

Exceptional autumn birding in a wide variety of habitats, from rocky shoreline to chaparral and riparian forest. Generally wonderful weather for enjoying California specialties, waterfowl, shorebirds, and raptors.

San Diego County can boast of any number of superlatives: it is the southernmost county in California, it is the southwesternmost county in the mainland US, and - if we believe the magazines - it is also the country's greenest and "funnest" county. Most important of all, though, San Diego was perennially among the winners in the annual Birdiest County contest, an honor recognizing both its tremendous bird list of more than 500 species and the enjoyment its oceanside cliffs, riparian woods, and towering mountains have given generations of birders.

Arranged exclusively for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Chairman’s Council, this special trip presents a birding and wildlife spectacular on the coast of southern California, based in the beautiful seaside city of San Diego. Your hosts will be Ian Owens and Mary Guthrie from the Lab. Guiding our activities will be Barry Lyon, Brennan Mulrooney, and Rick Wright of Texas-based Victor Emanuel Nature Tours. Our accommodations for this event are the Loews Coronado Bay Resort, located on the famous Silver Strand, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

No other state has as many birds named for it as California. Our autumn getaway, at a time when much of the northern hemisphere is feeling the chill of winter, is a chance to enjoy almost all of the state’s feathered namesakes: the California Quail, the California Gull, the California Scrub-Jay, the threatened California Gnatcatcher, the California Thrasher, and the California Towhee.

Our search for these and many other specialty birds takes us into a dazzling range of scenic habitats. On rocky cliffs and open waters, we will seek out the Pacific Loon, Brandt’s Cormorant, and Black Turnstone. Extensive marshes are home to the Ridgway’s Rail, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, and the “Belding’s” Savannah Sparrow. Farther inland, we hope to enjoy the Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Oak Titmouse, and perhaps even a Bell’s Sparrow or a flock of nomadic Lawrence’s Goldfinches. For those with more exotic tastes, Red-masked Parakeets and Lilac-crowned Parrots are found right in the city, and the Scaly-breasted Munia has been breeding here for more than a quarter of a century, making it a “countable” species.

This is bound to be a superb birding experience. But it’s more than that, too: this one-of-a-kind natural history event is a chance to see old friends and make new ones, to learn the latest from the Cornell Lab, and to enjoy an amazing adventure on the Pacific Coast of southern California.

While Cornell is pleased to facilitate travel opportunities for its alumni and friends with tour operators that specialize in high-quality educational travel, please be aware that Cornell does not conduct, manage or operate these travel experiences, or act as an agent for travelers interested in tours. Tour operators and travelers are responsible for making their own safety decisions concerning this travel, and, as a facilitator between travelers and the tour operators with whom travelers make arrangements for completing travel, Cornell’s role and liability are strictly limited.

Specific tour operator and national health and safety protocols will apply to each trip, and travelers should review all protocols and trip terms and conditions, including terms and conditions regarding cancellations, refunds, health and safety, and insurance prior to making a reservation. Cornell is not responsible for changes to trips or travel arrangements or for losses or additional expenses resulting from travel.

Excellent accommodations and food; easy to moderate terrain with roadside birding and some short hikes; generally pleasant weather conditions.

Nuttall's Woodpecker © Nathan Goldberg/Macaulay Library