A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Coyote Valley

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Coyote Valley

One of the best spots for birdwatching in Santa Clara County is the Coyote Valley. The open spaces in and around Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve include important habitat for wildlife including more than 220 species of resident and migratory birds.

Want to get outside and see these magnificent animals yourself? We’ve put together a list of birds you might spot on visit through Coyote Valley. Species are listed roughly in order of most to least common and include the best time of year to spot.

Special thanks to Open Space Authority volunteer Beth Hamel, for contributing these photos and her expertise. She and her husband Tom have been long-time docents, sharing their love of local birds and landscapes with the community on our hikes and nature walks. Beth’s stunning wildlife photography has been published in a variety of books and magazines, and she has been featured by both Audubon and Cornell.

Red-tailed hawk

A Red tailed hawk spreads its wings as it soars through a blue sky

Red-tailed hawks are often spotted soaring in wide circles high over the valley. These hawks have dark brown backs and light undersides, with bright reddish/auburn tails. 

Best time to find: Year-round.

American kestrel

A small raptor with white and brown speckled feathers and a hooked yellow beak lifts its arms in flight against a pale blue sky

North America’s smallest falcon, recognizable by spotted wings and dark vertical slashes on the sides of its face. They are often spotted perched on telephone lines and fence posts. 

Best time to find: Year-round.

Western meadowlark

A songbird with a yellow chest and brown and white spotted back perches on a wire with its beak open in song, in front of an out-of-focus tan background

The Western meadowlark’s song is as bright as its vivid yellow breast. It nests on the ground in open grasslands. This male was spotted calling out in an evening song. 

Best time to find: Year-round.

 

Yellow-billed magpie

A black and white bird with blue-green iridescent tail feathers lifts its wings in flight with its back to the camera

A true California native, yellow-billed magpies are common in California's oak woodlands, but not found anywhere else in the world. Look out for its iridescent blue wings and tail. 

Best time to find: Year-round.

White-tailed kite

A white raptor with red eyes flies towards the camera, wings outstretched and legs hanging down with yellow talons

Look for this brilliant white hunter soaring over grasslands. These birds are known for their unique hunting technique: hovering in mid-air to catch their prey.

Best time to find: Year-round.

Western bluebird

A bright blue bird with a rusty red and gray chest perches on a lichen-covered twig with an insect hanging out of its beak

These distinctive birds are hard to miss; males are bright blue and rusty red and females are brown with a blue tinge. Western bluebirds feed on insects, arachnids and berries. Look closely - this male was photographed in the act of catching a spider! 

Best time to find: Year-round.

Golden eagle

A large dark brown eagle with its wings outstretched above its body in a V shape and large yellow talons hanging down, flies towards the camera against a blue sky

One of the largest and fastest raptors in North America, often seen soaring overhead in search of small mammals. These powerful birds are dark brown with golden feathers at the nape of the neck. 

Best time to find: Year-round.

Loggerhead shrike

A small, soft-looking gray bird with a black band over its eyes perches on the top of a mass of spiky twigs, in front of a tan background

This masked black, white and gray predator hunts insects, lizards and even small mammals. Because the loggerhead shrike doesn’t have talons, it often impales its prey on sharp objects, like thorns or barbed wire fences, to make it easier to eat them, or to save them for later! Pictured: juvenile. 

Best time to find: Year-round.

Western kingbird

A gray bird with a light yellow lower half perches on a barbed wire, in front of a green and orange out-of-focus background

These large flycatchers have grey and light yellow feathers. Spot them capturing insects in flight or bossing around other birds. These birds often nest in the big oak trees at Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve. 

Best time to find: Spring/summer.

Lark sparrow

A sparrow with dark and medium brown markings on its face and striped wings perches on a barbed wire, in front of a tan background

This large sparrow has a thick bill and walks, rather than hops, on the ground. Adults have dramatic facial markings and black streaks on their backs. 

Best time to find: Winter.

Burrowing owl

A small owl with tan and brown speckled feathers perches on a fencepost and looks at the camera with bright yellow round eyes

These small, sandy brown owls have unmistakable bright yellow eyes and nest in former ground squirrel burrows. While this sensitive species has seen a steep decline in the Santa Clara Valley, burrowing owls are still reported to spend winters in North Coyote Valley. 

Best time to find: Winter.

Rock wren

A small, round tan bird with a thin bill stands on top of a lichen-covered rock facing right.

A light grey wren with a thin bill and long tail. These birds tend to bounce up and down when they stand. Look for them on the rocky slope just behind the parking area at Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve. 

Best time to find: Year-round.

Vermilion flycatcher

A bright red bird with a dark brown back perches on a thin twig and turns to look at the camera, in front of a green background

This brightly-colored vermilion flycatcher is not often observed in Northern California. The species is common throughout Mexico up into the deserts of the Southwest United States. Over the last few years, it’s been one of several southern species making its way to Northern California, which is possibly related to climate change.

Best time to find: Winter.

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