Walks: Lake Lagunita Birds
L.... lake. LD.. lake-deep S ... shoreline vegetation
LE .. lake-edge LS.. lake-shallow T.... trees
A .. airborne

On the lake or lake bed look for:

  

Grebes
..Pied-billed Grebe
L
 regular in small numbers at Lagunita, usually in winter but occasionally remaining, possibly to breed, in spring

Cormorants
..Double-crested Cormorant
L
 rare visitor when water present

Night-Heron
..Black-crowned Night-Heron
L
 rare visitor when water present

Herons / Egrets
..Green Heron
L,T
 uncommon spring and summer visitor to Lagunita. May nest in trees on campus, though no nest has been found there.
..Snowy Egret
L, E
irregular visitor to Lagunita in winter and spring, when water is present.
..Great Egret
L, E
uncommon visitor to Lagunita when water is present; has been seen feeding on California tiger salamanders there. May forage year-round for small mammals in grassy habitats, though less frequently than the Great Blue Heron.
..Great Blue Heron
L, E
uncommon visitor throughout the year. Occasionally forages at Lagunita, and for voles and pocket gophers in grassy areas throughout campus; including the median along Campus Drive.

Geese / Ducks
..Canada Goose
L
 in recent years, a regular visitor to Lagunita in winter and spring. Bay-area populations, both breeding and wintering, have increased dramatically in recent decades; this species is likely to increase in abundance on campus.
..Mallard
L, S
common winter resident at Lagunita, usually seen foraging in shallows at the edge of the lake. Several pairs remain to breed in spring; this is the most common breeding waterbird on campus. During winter and spring, small numbers occasionally occur in the small Arboretum pond and the wetland area south of Campus Drive between Lomita Drive and Palm Drive.
..Gadwall
L, S
uncommon to fairly common winter visitor at Lagunita, usually seen foraging in shallows at the edge of the lake. Birds lingering into spring may occasionally nest here, although breeding has not yet been recorded.
..Green-winged Teal
L, S
uncommon to fairly common winter visitor at Lagunita, usually seen foraging in shallows at the edge of the lake.
..American Wigeon
L, S
uncommon winter visitor at Lagunita, usually seen foraging in shallows at the edge of the lake.
..Northern Pintail
L, S
uncommon to fairly common winter visitor at Lagunita, usually seen foraging in shallows at the edge of the lake.
..Northern Shoveler
L, S
uncommon to fairly common winter visitor at Lagunita, usually seen foraging in shallows at the edge of the lake.
..Ring-necked Duck
L, D
uncommon winter visitor in more open, deeper water at Lagunita, occasionally in small flocks.
..Lesser Scaup
L, D
uncommon winter visitor in more open, deeper water at Lagunita.
..Bufflehead
L, D
uncommon winter visitor in more open, deeper water at Lagunita.

..Ruddy Duck
L, D
uncommon winter visitor in more open, deeper water at Lagunita.

Marsh Birds / Shorebirds
..American Coot
L, S
Fairly common winter visitor at Lagunita. Birds lingering into spring may occasionally nest here.
..Killdeer
L, E
uncommon resident in areas providing broad expanses of bare ground or short vegetation. Often seen around Lagunita (even when dry if vegetation has been mown), this species also forages on lawns, including playfields and the Oval. Probably breeds on campus.
..Spotted Sandpiper
L, E
occasional spring visitor to Lagunita, foraging on mud as the lake recedes.

Gulls / Terns
..Ring-billed Gull
A, L
generally an uncommon visitor to campus from fall through spring. Usually seen foraging on playfields or at the Oval, where it may be locally common at times (especially when feeding on earthworms after rains). Also forages and bathes at Lagunita.

..California Gull
A, L
generally an uncommon visitor to campus from fall through spring. Usually seen foraging on playfields or at the Oval, where it may be locally common at times (especially when feeding on earthworms after rains). Also forages and bathes at Lagunita.

..Forster's Tern
A, L
uncommon and irregular forager at Lagunita.

Kingfishers
..Belted Kingfisher
L, T
fairly rare visitor to Lagunita, breeding more regularly along streams nearby (e.g., San Francisquito Creek).

Pipits
..American Pipit
L
 uncommon to fairly rare migrant and winter resident in areas having broad expanses of short vegetation. Occurs primarily in the dry bed of Lagunita in fall and in short grassland near the Dish, although may occasionally visit playfields and the Oval.

Larks
..Horned Lark
L
 this ground-nester is an uncommon resident in grasslands at the Dish, occasionally foraging in the dry bed of Lagunita in fall, before it is filled by winter rains.

Sparrows
..Savannah Sparrow
L
 fairly common migrant and winter resident in areas having broad expanses of short vegetation. Occurs primarily in the dry bed of Lagunita in fall and in short grassland near the Dish, but may visit playfields and the Oval.

Airborne, toward the Dish look for:

Vultures / Birds of Prey
..Turkey Vulture
A
 common visitor seen soaring above campus year-round, occasionally feeding on dead animals along roads or in freshly disked areas.
..White-tailed Kite
A
 more common in adjacent foothills, but a few pairs are present in the southern portions of campus. At least one pair has nested regularly in the faculty housing area.

Airborne, over the lake look for:
 

Flycatchers
..Say's Phoebe
A
 uncommon migrant and winter resident. Most frequently seen around the Dish, and at Lagunita (including the lake bed when dry), more rarely in Quad locations where it sometimes collects insects from building walls.

Swallows
..Tree Swallow
A
 uncommon forager around campus from spring through fall, often with flocks of Violet-green and other swallows. Often breeds near water, and perhaps could nest near Lagunita some years, although breeding has not been confirmed on campus.

..Violet-green Swallow
A
 uncommon to fairly common migrant and summer resident. Large flocks of migrants or post-breeding individuals occasionally forage or roost on campus. Small numbers nest in natural cavities and woodpecker holes (especially near the Dish), and occasionally in crevices and cavities in buildings on campus.

..N.Rough-wing. Swallow
A
 uncommon forager on campus from spring through fall, often seen foraging over Lagunita in spring. Not known to breed on campus.

..Barn Swallow
A
 common migrant and summer resident throughout campus, attaching its mud nests to walls and the eaves of buildings.

. Cliff Swallow
A
common resident from spring through fall, foraging aerially throughout campus. Large colonies in the Main Quad comprise most of the campus's breeding population, although a few pairs build their mud nests on residences and other structures. Nests are occasionally appropriated by House Sparrows.

In the trees and vegetation along the shore look for:

Pigeons / Doves
..Mourning Dove common to abundant resident throughout campus. Highly flexible in its use of nesting substrates; nests in a variety of trees and shrubs but also uses planters, artificial ledges, the eaves of buildings, and even old nests of other species.

Woodpeckers
..Acorn Woodpecker common resident virtually wherever there are mature oaks. Social groups establish territories in which they collect acorns and cache them in the limbs and trunks of oaks, palms, eucalyptus, and occasionally the eaves of buildings. These caches are defended against Western Scrub-Jays and other groups of Acorn Woodpeckers. Although populations have declined in surrounding urban areas, those on campus should persist if mature oaks remain available.

Flycatchers
..Say's Phoebe uncommon migrant and winter resident. Most frequently seen around the Dish, and at Lagunita (including the lake bed when dry), more rarely in Quad locations where it sometimes collects insects from building walls.

Shrikes
..Loggerhead Shrike occasional visitor to the Dish and Lagunita, especially from fall through spring. Forages on arthropods and small vertebrates in open areas. Ostensibly suitable breeding habitat present, but not known to nest on campus currently.

Jays / Crows / Ravens
..Western Scrub-Jay common to abundant resident throughout campus, especially in oak-dominated habitats, where it feeds on acorns. Also eats a variety of fruits (including those of the eucalyptus), preys upon insects and small vertebrates, and scavenges discarded food items at Tresidder Union. Scrub-jays on campus have been seen killing and eating fully-grown juvenile European Starlings.

Thrushes
..American Robin common resident throughout campus, nesting in a variety of trees and tall shrubs and on artificial substrates, such as planters and the eaves of buildings. Occasionally seen in flocks from fall through spring.

Starlings
..European Starling abundant resident which first bred at Stanford in 1963; found in a variety of habitat types throughout campus. Nests in a variety of artificial cavities and crevices but also uses natural cavities, including woodpecker holes. Stanford-area studies of interactions between starlings and Acorn Woodpeckers suggest that appropriation of woodpecker cavities by starlings may not have a significant impact on Acorn Woodpecker populations.

Wood-Warblers
..Common Yellowthroat uncommon to fairly rare migrant in brushy habitats and tall weedy vegetation, especially near water. Occurs most regularly near Lagunita and, during migration, in scrub near the Dish. Breeds in the Stanford vicinity; marginally suitable nesting habitat may be present around Lagunita in some years, though suitable wetland breeding habitat is generally absent from campus.

Towhees
..California Towhee common resident in a variety of habitat types virtually throughout campus. More common and widespread than the Spotted Towhee, foraging more frequently in open habitats and farther from cover than the Spotted. Probably the species most frequently parasitized by the Brown-headed Cowbird on campus.

Sparrows
..Lincoln's Sparrow uncommon migrant and winter resident in weedy habitats, tall grassland, and brushy vegetation in relatively open areas. Most common in weedy areas near water, as at the edge of Lagunita.

..Song Sparrow uncommon resident in weedy or brushy vegetation near water, as at Lagunita and in the wetland area south of Campus Drive between Lomita Drive and Palm Drive. Small numbers nest in these areas. During the nonbreeding season, some (possibly migrants) are occasionally found in brush, scrub, and dense weedy vegetation away from water.

..White-crowned Sparrow common migrant and winter resident virtually throughout campus, occurring in a variety of habitat types but usually found in close proximity to the cover of brush or dense weedy vegetation. Often occurs in flocks with Golden-crowned Sparrows, but is less closely tied to shrubs and brushy vegetation and more likely to occur in or near tall grasses and forbs (without nearby brush) than the Golden-crowned. Forages primarily on or near the ground, although in spring flocks forage in the crowns of flowering oaks and eucalyptus.

..Golden-crowned Sparrow common migrant and winter resident virtually throughout campus, occurring in a variety of habitat types but usually found in close proximity to the cover of brushy vegetation. Often occurs in flocks with White-crowned Sparrows, although it is more closely tied to shrubs and brushy vegetation, and less likely to occur in tall grasses and forbs away from brush, than is the White-crowned. Forages primarily on or near the ground, although in spring flocks forage in the crowns of flowering oaks and eucalyptus.

Blackbirds
..Red-winged Blackbird common breeder in mustard and other herbaceous vegetation on the hills near the Dish and near Lagunita, fairly rare as a breeder elsewhere on campus. A few pairs may nest in the wetland area south of Campus Drive between Lomita Drive and Palm Drive. During the nonbreeding season, small numbers (and occasionally flocks) may forage throughout campus.

..Western Meadowlark common resident in grassland and weedy habitats near the Dish, with a few pairs possibly nesting around Lagunita and fields on the western side of campus. During the nonbreeding season, flocks are present in the dry bed of Lagunita in fall, and occasional individuals may occur in open, grassy habitats elsewhere on campus.

..Brewer's Blackbird common to abundant resident in a variety of habitats virtually throughout campus.

..Brown-headed Cowbird fairly common breeder in a variety of habitats virtually throughout campus, less common during the nonbreeding season. Laying its eggs in the nests of other species, the Brown-headed Cowbird has been observed parasitizing the California Towhee (the most frequent cowbird host) and on campus.

Finches
..House Finch abundant resident in various habitats throughout campus. Frequently nests on artificial substrates, such as planters and the eaves of buildings.

..Lesser Goldfinch common resident in various habitats virtually throughout campus. May forage in flocks during the nonbreeding season.

Old World Sparrows

..House Sparrow

common resident around artificial structures throughout campus. This species nests in artificial crevices and cavities in buildings and other structures, and occasionally in bluebird nest boxes. Although it often forages on seeds in weedy and brushy habitats, the House Sparrow most frequently feeds on human leftovers.
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