Top 20 Most Common Bird in El Cerrito
Brimming with avian abundance, El Cerrito presents a spectacular array of bird species. The area's diverse ecosystems, including scenic creeks, lush parks, and coastal zones, serve as crucial habitats for these birds, reflecting an ecological richness that sustains a myriad of species. El Cerrito is rich with iconic birds like the Red-tailed Hawk, Mourning Dove, and Anna’s Hummingbirds. This dazzling avifauna, totaling 20 common bird species, makes El Cerrito a remarkable hotspot for birdwatching and nature exploration.
Most Common Bird
1. Anna's Hummingbird
This hardy bird is a common sight along the Pacific Coast, with a bright, vibrant coloring that is anything but common. Look for their emerald feathers and soft pink throats, which gives them the appearance of a flying jewel. Anna's Hummingbird is more vocal than other hummingbirds, with a buzzy song you may hear from the males when they are perched.
2. American Crow
The american Crow is a big black bird that can be found in forests, fields, river groves, and among human habitations. Interestingly, it is known to stand atop ant hills and allow ants to climb onto its feathers; this apparently discharges their formic acid and makes them more palatable for the crow to eat. Sadly, american Crow numbers have been substantially affected by the West Nile virus in North America. Infected birds die from West Nile in less than a week.
3. California Towhee
This california Towhee looks basically like a larger sparrow, sharing the beak designed for seed cracking, the long tail, and the short, round wings. Their longer tail and shorter wings, however, give them a less graceful look while they’re in flight. This bird is unique in its uniform, matte brown coloring across the entire body.
4. Chestnut-backed Chickadee
The smallest and the most colorful of all chickadees, this active and noisy songbird blends very well into the coniferous and mixed forests it inhabits. Although it sometimes can be seen in urban areas, the chestnut-backed Chickadee is a true woodland bird. It builds its nest using hairs of animals such as deer, rabbits, coyotes, skunks, and similar. Although not a true migratory species, it does move around in search of food.
5. House Finch
Frequent in urban environments and human-created habitats such as parks and backyards, the little house Finch is known for its loud but pleasant, cheerful singing. It feeds on the ground, mostly on seeds, berries, and other plant material. This bird is highly sociable and very adaptable. It often visits feeders.
6. California Scrub-jay
California Scrub-jays prefer to live in dry shrublands, oak forests, and treed backyards. These are mischievous little birds that like to steal acorns from Woodpecker hiding spots. However, when the scrub jays hide the acorns in a new spot they rarely remember where they've hidden them! It's a lose-lose situation. When not stealing acorns they like to spend time eating ticks and other parasites off the backs of mule deer. The deer seem to appreciate the attention and often hold up their ears to give the jays access.
7. Dark-eyed Junco
One of the most common birds of North America, the dark-eyed Junco lives in flocks in open forests, but it's very common in urban areas. This a highly variable species consists of at least five subspecies. This ground bird is often seen during winter, so it's sometimes called the "Snowbird," although it shares the nickname with the Snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis).
8. Lesser Goldfinch
A common visitor of birdhouses or anywhere with birdseed, the lesser Goldfinch is a small, notch-tailed bird that enjoys gardens and open wooded areas. Its size has made it commonly overlooked, but listen out for its charming, chiming song. Social birds, they are often seen in large groups of hundreds traveling together at a time.
9. Oak Titmouse
The tiny, drab-looking oak Titmouse lives in dry oak forests and is known as "the voice and soul of the oaks." It mates for life, and husband and wife defend their territory year-round. They sleep in cavities where they can find them, but will also seek out a twig within dense foliage to simulate a roost.
10. Black Phoebe
Often spotted near creeks and ponds after you hear its sharp, whistling call, the small, plump black Phoebe is a sooty gray. Look for its white belly and squared tail to properly identify it. When perched, it wags its tail constantly. This bird feeds by taking short, quick flights to skim the water’s surface and snag an insect.
11. Bewick's Wren
The Bewick's wren has an average length of 5.1 inches (13 cm) an average weight of 0.3 to 0.4 ounces (8 -12 g), and a wingspan of 18 cm. Its plumage is brown on top and light grey underneath, with a white stripe above each eye. Its beak is long, slender, and slightly curved. Its most distinctive feature is its long tail with black bars and white corners. It moves its tail around frequently, making this feature even more obvious for observers. Juveniles look similar to adults, with only a few key differences. Their beaks are usually shorter and stockier. In addition, their underbelly might feature some faint speckling. Males and females are very similar in appearance. 
12. Mourning Dove
One of the most famous and widespread doves of North America, the mourning Dove can be often seen in urban areas perching on telephone wires. It is named after its distinctive, plaintive-sounding song. It is also a popular game bird, but its population is still abundant thanks to the prolific breeding and its ability to raise up to five to six broods in a single year.
13. Spotted Towhee
The spotted Towhee is a large sparrow found in sunny, open forests and recognizable by its distinctive two-footed hop. A ground dweller, it scratches the ground in search of food. Regarded as an extremely vocal bird, its song varies according to geographical location. During the breeding season, the male spends more than 70% of its mornings singing, trying to attract the female.
14. White-crowned Sparrow
This common sparrow has a white crown atop its head, which gave it its name, as well as a neat pattern down its wings and a long tail. Some groups of white-crowned Sparrows migrate, while others remain in coastal habitats year-round. Across different groups of these birds are different song “dialects” which are widely studied.
15. Song Sparrow
The song Sparrow can be found low to the ground in vegetation and thickets in nearly all habitat conditions, including suburban areas. They are frequent visitors to home birdfeeders but can also be seen foraging for food on the ground. Their appearance can differ across the 24 known subspecies, but all of them tend to only make short, fluttery flights.
16. Bushtit
The social bushtit can often be found in deciduous and mixed forests as well as in home gardens and backyards. They have a characteristic upside-down feeding behavior as they search for spiders and insects on the undersides of leaves. These birds like to decorate their nests with flowers and lichens.
17. Common Raven
The common Raven is one of the most ubiquitous species of birds and is revered for its high intelligence. These birds prefer open habitats, but can be found in nearly all environmental conditions besides rainforests. As a social species, some subspecies of common Raven have been known to have 15 to 33 different categories of calls!
18. Steller's Jay
Steller's Jays are loud, large jays that live mostly in evergreen forests. Their "song" is a horrible screeching call, but they are also great mimics that can copy the sounds of other birds, dogs, cats, chickens, etc. Notorious nest-robbers, they are well-known for attacking and killing small adult birds, nestlings, and taking off with other birds' eggs.
19. American Robin
The american Robin is the most common, and largest, thrush in North America. It's a bird of striking colors, including its vibrant, red-breasted plumage and pale blue eggs. It likes to feed on summer fruit and berries, but worms play an important role in its diet as well. This songbird is a state bird of Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Its cheery song is considered one of the first signs of spring.
20. Golden-crowned Sparrow
The golden-crowned Sparrow is a large-sized sparrow with a distinctive yellow crown on its head. It is found in forests and shrublands along the Pacific coast of North America, where it feeds on seeds and insects. During the breeding season, the male's yellow crown is more vivid and prominent. The Golden-crowned Sparrow is known for its distinctive song, a series of clear, musical trills. This sparrow is a hardy bird, able to survive harsh winters and adapt to changing environments.
