Seasons of Wildlife
From left to right, American crow, bushtit, California gnatcatcher, and California towhee.
Common spring sightings:
- Mourning dove
- White-throated Swift
- Black-chinned hummingbird
- Anna’s hummingbird
- Rufous hummingbird
- Nuttall’s woodpecker
- Pacific-slope flycatcher
- Black phoebe
- Ash-throated flycatcher
- Cassin’s kingbird
- Western kingbird
- Bell’s vireo
- Warbling vireo
- Western scrub jay
- American crow
- Common raven
- Tree swallow
- Northern Rough-winged swallow
- Cliff swallow
- Bushtit
- Bewick’s wren
- House wren
- Ruby-crowned kinglet
- Hermit thrush
- Wrentit
- Northern mockingbird
- California thrasher
- European starling
- Phainopepla
- Orange-crowned warbler
- Yellow warbler
- Common yellowthroat
- Wilson’s warbler
- Yellow-breasted chat
- Western tanager
- Spotted towhee
- California towhee
- Rufous-crowned sparrow
- Black-chinned sparrow
- Lark sparrow
- Song sparrow
- White-crowned sparrow
- Black-headed grosbeak
- Blue grosbeak
- Lazuli bunting
- Red-winged blackbird
- Western meadowlark
- Brown-headed cowbird
- Hooded oriole
- Bullock’s oriole
- House finch
- Lesser goldfinch
- American goldfinch
- House sparrow
Common summer sightings:
- Mourning dove
- White-throated Swift
- Black-chinned hummingbird
- Anna’s hummingbird
- Nuttall’s woodpecker
- Pacific-slope flycatcher
- Black phoebe
- Ash-throated flycatcher
- Cassin’s kingbird
- Western kingbird
- Bell’s vireo
- Western scrub jay
- American crow
- Common raven
- Northern Rough-winged swallow
- Cliff swallow
- Bushtit
- Bewick’s wren
- House wren
- Wrentit
- Northern mockingbird
- California thrasher
- European starling
- Phainopepla
- Yellow warbler
- Common yellowthroat
- Yellow-breasted chat
- Spotted towhee
- California towhee
- Rufous-crowned sparrow
- Black-chinned sparrow
- Lark sparrow
- Song sparrow
- Black-headed grosbeak
- Blue grosbeak
- Lazuli bunting
- Red-winged blackbird
- Western meadowlark
- Brown-headed cowbird
- Hooded oriole
- Bullock’s oriole
- House finch
- Lesser goldfinch
- American goldfinch
- House sparrow
Common fall sightings:
- California quail
- Mourning dove
- White-throated Swift
- Anna’s hummingbird
- Nuttall’s woodpecker
- Northern flicker
- Pacific-slope flycatcher
- Black phoebe
- Say’s phoebe
- Western scrub jay
- American crow
- Common raven
- Horned lark
- Cliff swallow
- Bushtit
- Bewick’s wren
- House wren
- Ruby-crowned kinglet
- Hermit thrush
- Wrentit
- Northern mockingbird
- California thrasher
- European starling
- Orange-crowned warbler
- Yellow-rumped warbler
- Common yellowthroat
- Spotted towhee
- California towhee
- Rufous-crowned sparrow
- Lark sparrow
- Savannah sparrow
- Song sparrow
- White-crowned sparrow
- Red-winged blackbird
- Western meadowlark
- Brown-headed cowbird
- House finch
- Lesser goldfinch
- American goldfinch
- House sparrow
Common winter sightings:
- Mourning dove
- White-throated Swift
- Anna’s hummingbird
- Nuttall’s woodpecker
- Black phoebe
- Say’s phoebe
- Western scrub jay
- American crow
- Common raven
- Horned lark
- Bushtit
- Bewick’s wren
- House wren
- Ruby-crowned kinglet
- Hermit thrush
- Wrentit
- Northern mockingbird
- California thrasher
- European starling
- Orange-crowned warbler
- Yellow-rumped warbler
- Common yellowthroat
- Spotted towhee
- California towhee
- Rufous-crowned sparrow
- Lark sparrow
- Savannah sparrow
- Song sparrow
- White-crowned sparrow
- Red-winged blackbird
- Western meadowlark
- Brown-headed cowbird
- House finch
- Lesser goldfinch
- American goldfinch
- House sparrow
Featured Species
The purpose of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge is to protect, manage, and restore habitats for federally listed endangered and threatened species and migratory birds and to maintain and enhance the biological diversity of native plants and animals. Some of these species of concern include the Quino checkerspot butterfly, Riverside fairy shrimp, and least Bell’s vireo, among others.
