Bird Watching in Los Angeles

Some of you might think that it is impossible to do some bird watching in Los Angeles or in any other city. But there are places that you can visit making it possible for you to enjoy this hobby.

The first is the Arboretum of Los Angeles County. This is a 127 acre garden that is blooming with plant and tree life making it a perfect location for some birds to live on. Here, you will get to see 200 peafowl birds that were imported from India and some peacocks.

Another place is the Los Angeles Oiled Bird Care and Education Center. This is a 10,000 square foot facility that can accommodate 1,000 birds at a time.

Approximately 40,000 children visit this place every year. Guests will be able to see two large outdoor aviaries that house pelicans. They even have a hospital for birds that have been found and brought in for care by viewing the monitor.

You can also visit the Audubon Center at Debs Park. Considered as one of the greenest buildings in the nation, it houses coyotes and about 138 species of birds.

Of course, one place that you cannot miss to do some bird watching is the Los Angeles Zoo.

Examples of these include the Andean Condor, African Fish Eagle, Chilean Flamingo, Egret, Mandarin Duck, Laughing Kookaburra, plush crested Jay, Military Macaw, Red Knobbed Hornbill, Sacred Ibis, Thick billed parrot, Ostrich, Congo Peacock, Blue Peafowl, Common Rave, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Swan, Inca Tern, Lady Ross’sTuraco, Cape Vulture, Cape Griffon Vulture and a lot more.

But if you want to do some bird watching without paying any entrance or parking fees, drive around the city and you just might see some especially around the UCLA campus that is on the Westwood area of Los Angeles.

You may also find birds in the flood control basins of Los Angeles particularly near the Montebello Hills and near the Hansen Dam. Here you will find Nighthawks, Roadrunners, Costa’s Hummingbirds, Cactus Wren and the Loggerhead Shrike.

The Boreal forest is also home to 60 species of birds especially during the migrating season and during the winter. You could see Surf and white winged scoters diving for clams and mussels along Newport Beach or the Golden crowned Sparrow all the way from Canada’s Yukon.

If you like bird watching, you can join groups that sponsor trips and training to their fellow members. Some of them are the Los Angeles Audubon Society, the West Los Angeles Bird Club, the Parrot Society of Los Angeles and the Gold Country Bird Society. Meetings are held monthly. You can post questions by emailing them or visiting their website.

When you bird watching by yourself or with a group, make sure you to bring all the equipment you need like a pair of binoculars, a pen, a journal, a hat, backpack and even a digital camera. You could share this information with the other members during the next meeting so you become an active participant not just someone who sits in the back and just listens to what other people have to say.

The places mentioned just goes to show that it is still possible to do some bird watching in Los Angeles even if it is a bustling city. So check these places out and have some fun.