Baja California Peninsula: Year 2024, with Annual Updates of State and Municipality Lists

Geese through Shorebirds

Goose numbers were unremarkable, with Ross’s Goose unrecorded altogether. Snow Geese were reported from most municipalities the length of the peninsula, and an adult blue morph near San Felipe 1 Feb (R. A. Erickson, L. Q. Kahle) was only the third to be reported for the region. A Greater White-fronted Goose 55km northwest of I. Cedros 26 Apr (ph. Ted Nichols II) established the first offshore spring migrant record for the peninsula. The Cackling Goose showing was below average, with just two fall records along the north coast in November. An odd spring record from the Cape District was established by one near San José del Cabo 4 Apr (ph. Yana Levchinsky). All sightings pertained to the expected Aleutian subspecies, leucopareia. Brant were present at traditional wintering sites, but seven were also detected at Bahía San Quintín 13 Jun (L. Q. Kahle, Jonah M. Benningfield).

The only Wood Duck report was from the Maneadero Plain 12–14 Jun (L. Q. Kahle, Jonah M. Benningfield). Four Eurasian Wigeons and four Hooded Mergansers were seen, all in northern Baja California and all in February. The Mallard is rare south of El Rosario; birds at La Paz 12–27 Nov (ph. Sergio Alcalá et al.) and Todos Santos 23–30 Dec (ph. Andrea Serrano et al.) furnished just the third and fourth records for the well-covered La Paz Mcp. The closely-related Mexican Duck remains unrecorded and overdue in the region, but an apparent Mexican Duck x Mallard hybrid at San Felipe 24 Aug (Jonah M. Benningfield, ph. R. A. Erickson, L. Q. Kahle) provided a half-step forward. Notable summer ducks in BCS included a Cinnamon Teal at Todos Santos 16 Jun (Sergio Alcalá, Selma Ávalos) and up to two Lesser Scaup at La Paz 13 Jun–18 Aug (ph. G. Marrón et al.). In BC, up to two Northern Shovelers 6–12 Jun and a Bufflehead 6–27 Jun were at Lagunita El Ciprés (ph. E. D. Zamora-Hernández et al.). But Guerrero Negro was again the summer duck hotspot with at least six American Wigeons, 77 Northern Pintails, and 15 Lesser Scaup seen during the period (ph. Sara Alcalá Jiménez et al.). A male Harlequin Duck at Playas de Rosarito 19 Dec (ph. Grigory Heaton) was presumably the same bird observed there 22 Jul–23 Sep 2023. One White-winged Scoter in Feb, two Black Scoters in Feb, and another Black in Dec were the only ones seen, all from Ensenada north. The only Long-tailed Duck was at Mirador La Joya 9 Dec–31 Jan 2025 (ph. L. Q. Kahle, ph. Daniel Garza Tobón, ph. Jonathan Vargas), the first in Tijuana Mcp. since 1971.

Band-tailed Pigeon is reported only sporadically in BC; 20 in the Sierra San Pedro Mártir 26 May (ph. Eric VanderWerf, Robby Kohley) was the largest number seen in nearly ten years. Inca Dove colonization in Tecate persists, with up to seven seen in 2024 (ph. Jack Crawford, ph. R. A. Erickson). This isolated population more than 125 km from the main range remains rather remarkable. The species is still a rare and erratic visitor in adjacent well-covered San Diego County. In contrast, the Common Ground Dove population in the Mexicali Valley seems to have crashed, as there were no reports away from the immediate Colorado River. Ruddy Ground-Dove is still very rare north of central BCS; one at San Ignacio 8 Mar (†Steven G. Mlodinow, G. Marrón) was only the second found at that often-visited locale.

Groove-billed Ani maintained its presence in the Cape District, with maximum counts of six each at La Paz and Estero San José during the year. Vaux’s Swift is very rare on the Vizcaíno Peninsula, with just a couple records matched by a similar number of unidentified Chaetura sp. As such, a Chaetura sp. at Bahía Asunción 18 Oct (ph. †L. Q. Kahle) was notable. One of the highlights of the year came in the form of an immature male Ruby-throated Hummingbird at La Misión 5–8 Nov (ph. †L. Q. Kahle, ph. Lawrence S. Beck, ph. R. A. Erickson), the second for BC and the first well-documented record for the peninsula. This was far later in the season than expected on the north coast. Black-chinned Hummingbirds are always rare in the region in winter, and the vast majority come from the Cape District. Three there between 3 Feb and 12 Mar was a high seasonal count. Exceptionally late was a Rufous Hummingbird at La Misión 25 May (L. Q. Kahle, Lawrence S. Beck), by far the latest record for the peninsula. The bird had a bill infection that no doubt contributed to its late stay. Six Broad-billed Hummingbirds through Apr on the Magdalena Plain and four elsewhere in BCS (photo in North American Birds 75(2): 59) were remnants of the previous winters’ incursion. An additional two on the Magdalena Plain in Nov, one in Bahía Tortugas 25 Oct (L. Q. Kahle), and one on the early date of 25 Sep in Todos Santos (ph. Arlo Hanlin Hemphill) signified this fall’s pulse. Last year’s Violet-crowned Hummingbird returned to La Misión from 9 Mar into early May (ph. Lawrence S. Beck et al.).

Ridgway’s Rail is generally nonmigratory, but some individuals disperse considerable distances. Our most recent example involves a bird at Estero La Misión 24–29 Apr (ph. R. A. Erickson), the first for Playas de Rosarito Mcp. At nearby La Salina, what was probably the same bird was present 15 Jun–1 Jul (L. Q. Kahle, Jonah M. Benningfield, Kurt A. Radamaker). Another wetland species with a patchy regional distribution is Common Gallinule. There have been few reports from approximately the middle third of the peninsula in recent years, presumably the result of drought. This year, not one was reported between El Rosario and Loreto and the only report from the area between El Rosario and La Purisima in >15 years was from San Ignacio in January 2022. Observers are encouraged to pay particular attention to localized species such as this.

Shorebird highlights were fewer than usual. Black Oystercatcher is very rare in the Cape District and one near Pta. Colorado 24 Mar (ph. iNaturalist) was the first for Los Cabos Mcp. Three Pacific Golden-Plovers were located: Guerrero Negro saltworks 7 Mar (†Steven G. Mlodinow, G. Marrón), I. Natividad 10–11 May (one or two; ph. Javier Eduardo Alcalá Santoyo, ph. Andrés Morales), and Estero Punta Banda 25 Oct (ph. L. Q. Kahle, Desmond E. Sieburth). The Natividad bird was one of very few ever found in the region in spring. Mountain Plover is declining steeply across its range and has become intermittent at or absent from several historical wintering locations on the peninsula. Four at Mesa San Jacinto 2 Nov (Desmond E. Sieburth, ph. L. Q. Kahle) were the first detected at that location since 2020.

Four Marbled Godwits were at Laguna Hanson 25 Aug (L. Q. Kahle, Jonah M. Benningfield, R. A. Erickson); the species had been recorded at that montane locale only once before. Another unusual montane sighting was of a Solitary Sandpiper in the Sierra San Pedro Mártir 1 Sep (ph. Enrique Rebelin). At La Paz, the wintering Ruff was seen and photographed by many from the start of the year through 10 Mar and then again from 17 Aug through the end of the year. Stilt Sandpipers at Guerrero Negro (two each on 2 Feb and 31 Oct; L. Q. Kahle at al.) and La Paz (one 15–18 Dec; ph. Jorge Cristerna et al.) were the only ones reported. Baird’s Sandpiper had a good year in BCS, with 14 found 15 Aug–22 Sep, all but two in La Paz. Only four were found on the north coast, 19 Aug–3 Sep. Pectoral Sandpiper also had a good year in BCS, with roughly 18 recorded between three sites in the Cape District 3 Aug–8 Nov and two more on the Vizcaíno Peninsula. Shockingly, not one was found in BC. Four Semipalmated Sandpipers 19 Aug–14 Sep, all at La Paz, was about an average count.

Alcids through Woodpeckers

Rare alcid sightings included a cooperative Marbled Murrelet at Ensenada 17–20 Jan (ph. E. D. Zamora-Hernández et al.; photo in North American Birds 75(2): 65) establishing just the third Mexican record; two Pigeon Guillemots off Rosarito 14 Jul (ph. Amy McAndrews, ph. Jorge Montejo; photo in North American Birds 76(1): 63); and two Ancient Murrelets near Is. Todos Santos 24 May (Jonathan Vargas, †L. Q. Kahle et al.). A total of five Common Murres were seen in Tijuana waters 20 Mar and 14 Jul (Paul E. Lehman, ph. Amy McAndrews, ph. Jorge Montejo et al.) and one was at the north end of Ensenada Mcp., at Bajamar, 6 Feb (†Kurt A. Radamaker).

From the north, Black-legged Kittiwake is an irregular visitor to the region’s offshore waters. Surprisingly, the only one found this year was onshore in the far south, at Estero San José 23 Feb (ph. Conor Scotland, Julie Scotland). Only three Franklin’s Gulls were found: one in the north (Rosarito 3–4 Nov, ph. †L. Q. Kahle) and two in the south (Estero San José 14 Apr, Joshua Bergmark, Marcel Ashby; and La Paz 20 Sep, ph. Andrés Morales). The strong showing of Short-billed Gulls continued into early 2024. First municipality records were established for San Felipe (San Felipe 7 Feb, L. Q. Kahle, ph. R. A. Erickson) and Comondú (Puerto San Carlos 4 Mar; ph. Gareth Hughes) and two reached the tip of the peninsula (San José del Cabo 23 Feb; ph. Susan Brickner-Wren; photo in North American Birds 75(2): 71). An American Herring Gull at Rosarito 15 Jun (L. Q. Kahle, Jonah M. Benningfield) was exceptional on that date. Also exceptional was a Glaucous Gull at Guerrero Negro 15 Mar (ph. Michelle Hamilton), the first in the region since 2021 and far to the south. Four Lesser Black-backed Gulls in BC and two in BCS was about average for recent years, but three Iceland Gulls in BCS was more than usual. Very few Black Terns were reported, including none from the Gulf of California north of La Paz and few from the Guerrero Negro saltworks. We hope this was primarily due to poor coverage. In the region, Arctic Tern is generally rare closer than 30 km or so offshore, so three close off Bahía San Quintín 22 Aug (L. Q. Kahle et al.) were notable.

The year began with the region’s fifth Red-necked Grebe remaining at Estero Punta Banda through 10 Jan (R. A. Erickson) and ended with the region’s sixth Yellow-billed Loon found at I. Coronado, Loreto Mcp. 30 Dec (ph. William Hull, Elliot Hull). This was the southernmost record yet of the loon, and the third from the Gulf of California. An even more spectacular sighting from the Gulf of California was of a Mottled Petrel seen by veteran seabird researchers during a Vaquita survey off San Felipe 15 May (†Robert L. Pitman, †Christopher Hoefer, Juan Carlos Salinas, Dawn Breese; Western Birds 56:231-233; doi 10.21199/WB56.3.8), the first documented for Mexico. More Pterodroma highlights came from the mouth of the gulf when 19 Juan Fernandez Petrels were found off Cabo Pulmo 15 Sep (G. Marrón, Álvaro San José, ph. Javier Eduardo Alcalá Santoyo, ph. Andrés Morales, Carlos Lim). This species is rare but regular just to the south, but had been recorded only once previously in the region. The passage of Tropical Storm Ileana up the gulf two days prior no doubt led to the exceptional concentration of birds heading south back out to sea. To the north, the waters off San Quintín are emerging as a new pelagic hotspot. A 22 Aug foray there revealed upwards of 10,000 Pink-footed Shearwaters (L. Q. Kahle et al.), perhaps an order of magnitude over the previous high count for Mexico. A Flesh-footed Shearwater off Rosarito 31 Aug (†Jimmy McMorran) added to very few Mexican records of this transequatorial migrant. More exciting at the same time and place was a probable Streaked Shearwater (ph. †Jimmy McMorran). The identification was not quite considered conclusive for what would have represented another Mexican first.

The adult Wood Stork we have shared with adjacent San Diego and Riverside Counties since at least 2020 was seen at Presa Rodríguez, Tijuana 8–19 Feb and 3 Nov (ph. L. Q. Kahle, ph. R. A. Erickson), furthering its pattern of wandering among the same sites for months on end. Neotropic Cormorants at Ciénega Redonda, Parque de la Amistad, and Presa Rodríguez fortified this species’ foothold in far northwest BC, though breeding has yet to be confirmed there. The only Magnificent Frigatebirds found away from BCS and the Gulf of California were near Ensenada 5 Jun (ph. Gonzalo de León Girón) and 13 Jul (ph. Antonio Maldonado, Celic Montoya, Liliana Ortiz Serrato) and south of Mexicali 2 Jun (two, Rae Packard) and 25 Jul (Benito Rocha Brambila). Booby reports were generally underwhelming, but did include the following from the north Pacific coast at Is. Coronado: two Masked Boobies 14 Jul (ph. Amy McAndrews, Jorge Montejo) and two Nazca Boobies and a Masked/Nazca Booby 6 Oct (ph. René A. Valdés-Peña et al.). The year’s wader highlights were 23 White-faced Ibis at Laguna Hanson 25 Aug (Jonah M. Benningfield, ph. R. A. Erickson, L. Q. Kahle), apparently the first for that montane location; American Bitterns at Maneadero Plain 21 Dec (Rafael Paredes Montesinos) and La Paz 15–16 Sep (ph. Jorge Cristerna, Sergio Alcalá, †Andrés Morales); and northerly Tricolored Herons, most notably one on the Río Colorado 25 Apr (Benito Rocha Brambila) and the first for Tijuana Mcp., flying past Mirador La Joya 5 Nov (L. Q. Kahle). Least Bittern was reported only from the Mexicali Valley in the north and Todos Santos in the south.

It was an extraordinary year for raptors. A juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk near Laguna Hanson 17 Jul (†Amy McAndrews, Jorge Montejo) established a rare summer record. And then there were the new state and municipality records: Common Black Hawk in the Sierra San Pedro Mártir 2 May (José Hiram Licona Hernández, ph. Alejandra Argüelles Castañeda; BC first and regional fifth); Harris’s Hawk in Tijuana 11 Feb (Jonathan Vargas, ph. Mark L. Hoffman; municipality first); Short-tailed Hawk in the Sierra San Pedro Mártir 29 Aug (ph. José Hiram Licona Hernández; BC first and regional third); and Gray Hawk at Ramaditas (found dead 9 Nov; ph. R. A. Erickson, L. Q Kahle, specimen to Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur; state and regional third). The only kettle of hawks reported in the fall was a modest one: 13 Swainson’s Hawks and 3 Broad-winged Hawks at Conquista Agraria, western La Paz Mcp. 11 Nov (R. A. Erickson, L. Q. Kahle, G. Marrón). Six other Broad-winged Hawks were seen in BCS during the year, but one at Bajamar 12 Oct (Kurt A. Radamaker) was the only one in BC.

It was a good year regionally for Yellow-bellied Sapsucker with three noted, all in San Quintín Mcp. 25–26 Oct (ph. L. Q. Kahle, Desmond E. Sieburth). Other notable woodpeckers included a wayward Acorn Woodpecker on the coast in Tijuana 5 Nov (L. Q. Kahle) and six Downy Woodpeckers in Tijuana and Playas de Rosario Mcps. from Jul through Dec.

Flycatchers through Finches

The region’s first Eastern Wood-Pewee, well documented at Bajamar 29 Oct–3 Nov (ph. aud. KAR et al.; eBird checklist), followed an unprecedented incursion of this species into coastal California during the spring (i.e., six birds in Jun). A Willow Flycatcher near Las Cuevas 11 Sep (ph. Álvaro San José) was the only one found south of El Rosario and established the first photo-documented record for BCS. Dusky Flycatcher is rare away from the Sierra San Pedro Mártir and the Mexicali Valley. Two were found in fall away from those regions: Cataviña 1 Nov (ph. L. Q. Kahle, Desmond E. Sieburth), and Conquista Agraria 11 Nov (L.Q. Kahle, ph. R. A. Erickson). A Dusky-capped Flycatcher at Punta Banda 25 Oct (Desmond E. Sieburth, ph. L. Q. Kahle) established the fifth record for BC. Great Crested Flycatcher evaded regional birders for decades. Two in the Ensenada area 5 and 16 Oct (iNaturalist) were preceded by just one from BCS, 7 Oct 2001. What is believed to be a single Great Kiskadee at Estero San José since Nov 2020 was seen again in Feb, Apr, and Dec (ph. Joaquín Corrales, ph. Andrea Serrano et al.). Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was also seen at the estero 22 Jan (ph. Grant Beverage) and 27 Oct–27 Feb 2025 (ph. Pamela García et al.). Loreto Mcp. enjoyed a rare trio of flycatcher firsts on 12 Oct: Western Wood-Pewee and Least Flycatcher at Loreto and Thick-billed Kingbird at Nopoló (all ph. Paul Heady). Reports of certain additional vagrant passerines—flycatchers and otherwise—are summarized in Table 2.

Table 2. Selected vagrant passerines on the Baja California Peninsula 10 Sep–11 Nov 2024, with two exceptional dates indicated. Most observations are for Oct and are attributable to L. Q. Kahle et al. Unrecorded altogether during this season were Philadelphia Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Ovenbird, Yellow-throated Warbler, and Canada Warbler. This table is meant to include fall migrants only, thus presumed wintering birds are not included, e.g., Gray Catbird at El Rosario and Cape May Warbler at San Carlos, BCS.

Species	BC	BCS	Total
Eastern Wood-Pewee	1		1
Least Flycatcher	1	1	2
Eastern Phoebe*	2	2	4
Great Crested Flycatcher	2		2
Eastern Kingbird*		3	3
Blue-headed Vireo	1		1
Yellow-green Vireo	1	1	2
Gray Catbird*	2	2	4
Bobolink		3	3
Orchard Oriole^	2	1	3
Baltimore Oriole	1		1
Golden-winged Warbler	1		1
Prothonotary Warbler		2	2
Tennessee Warbler*	42 (1 on 20 Aug)	21	63
Lucy’s Warbler*	5	40	45
Virginia’s Warbler	2		2
Hooded Warbler		1	1
Cape May Warbler		3	3
Cerulean Warbler	1		1
Northern Parula	4	1 (27 Nov)	5
Magnolia Warbler	1	2	3
Bay-breasted Warbler*	3	2	5
Blackburnian Warbler*	14	12	26
Chestnut-sided Warbler	4		4
Blackpoll Warbler	3	2	5
Black-throated Blue Warbler	1	1	2
Palm Warbler^	5	2	7
Prairie Warbler	1	2	3
Grace’s Warbler	1		1
Black-throated Green Warbler	1	2	3
Scarlet Tanager	2	5	7
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	5	5	10
Indigo Bunting	4	8	12
Painted Bunting		3	3
Dickcissel	2	2	4
Total	115	129	244

* = record fall total for the peninsula

^ Orchard Oriole and Palm Warbler sightings only listed for north of the Cape District, where these species have wintered regularly in recent years

A pair of Tree Swallows was again confirmed nesting in a willow snag on the Río Tijuana, west of Tecate 29 Apr (R. A. Erickson). In BCS, a notable winter concentration involved 1800 birds at El Centenario 15 Jan (ph. Ryan P. O’Donnell, Stephanie Cobbold). Mangrove Swallow was a most anticipated addition to the regional bird list. Observers have often been confused by resident Violet-green Swallows and we have reviewed unconvincing reports for decades. Thus we were delighted when four birds were well documented at La Paz 14–25 Sep (ph. Andrés Morales et al.). The species is common across the Gulf of California in lowland west Mexico and these birds were probably displaced by the passage of Tropical Storm Ileana.

Red-breasted Nuthatch irrupted in fall 2023 and birds lingered into Feb as far south as San Quintín. Outliers were single birds at San Miguel 11 May (iNaturalist) and Punta Banda 25 May (L. Q. Kahle). More Gray Catbirds than ever were seen in the fall (Table 2); one wintered at El Rosario 26 Oct–7 Jan 2025 (ph. L. Q. Kahle et al.) and two others were near San Blas, BCS 8–20 Apr (ph. G. Marrón et al.). The declining status of Sage Thrasher in the region continued, with none reported in BCS all year. Six Mountain Bluebirds and a Varied Thrush were far offshore at I. Guadalupe 17 Nov (ph. Jessica Vázquez), where both species had been recorded previously. Just one Red-throated Pipit was found this fall—the lowest seasonal count since 2020—reflecting a paltry showing across western North America.

Fall 2023 and winter 2024 were exceptional for a variety of Red Crossbill call types in California and western North America. In BC, five Type 2 call types lingered until at least 14 Apr in the Sierra de Juárez (L. Q. Kahle, Jonah M. Benningfield) and an audio recording of another at Guerrero Negro 15 Jan (aud. †Sara Alcalá Jiménez; Macaulay recording) provided the first physical evidence documenting the species’ occurrence in BCS. Two Pine Siskins at the south end of BCS were unexpected: near San Dionisio 3 May (ph. Sergio Rivero Beneitez, Christianne del Olmo) and in the Sierra Las Pirras 22 Feb (†Ken Behrens).

Longspurs through Dickcissel

Longspurs had a modest showing. One Chestnut-collared Longspur was in BC and one was in BCS (Oasis del Eden 10 Oct, ph. L. Q. Kahle), but a Lapland Longspur on the Maneadero Plain 4 Nov (†L. Q. Kahle) was, shockingly, only the second ever recorded there. Grasshopper Sparrow enjoyed a banner nesting season, no doubt reflecting recent years with ample rain. Two at Mesa San Jacinto, Tijuana Mcp. 2 May (R. A. Erickson) were at a new location, more than 20 singing males were in the hills of Playas de Rosarito Mcp. 27 Feb–13 Apr (ph. R. A. Erickson, L. Q. Kahle, Jonah M. Benningfield), and one carrying food at Mesa San Jacinto 27 May (Kurt A. Radamaker, Álvaro San José) was well south of all previous suspected nesting areas. Unseasonal sparrows were a singing Clay-colored Sparrow at San José de la Zorra, BC 13 Apr (ph. L. Q. Kahle, Jonah M. Benningfield) and a Lark Sparrow at San Juan de la Costa, just north of La Paz, BCS, 11 Jun (iNaturalist). Dark-eyed Junco is rare in the far south, where 4 “Gray-headed” Juncos were found together in the Sierra de La Laguna 14–29 Feb (ph. Enrique Flores García, Osiel Flores). Golden-crowned Sparrow was unrecorded south of El Rosario and, remarkably, no White-throated Sparrows were found—the first time the species had been unrecorded since 2015. The Nelson’s Sparrows found at Bahía San Quintín in 2023 were last seen in Feb (photo in North American Birds 75(2): 64), but none could be found there the following winter. Two Swamp Sparrows were found: El Rosario 26 Oct (†L. Q. Kahle) and Estero San José 27 Dec–2 Jan 2025 (aud. Yousif Attia).

Our understanding of Rufous-crowned Sparrow distribution changed dramatically this year. Traditionally, this sedentary species was unknown away from northwestern BC, the Cape District mountains and foothills, and one place in between: the Sierra de San Francisco. One photographed above Puerto Escondido, Loreto Mcp. 28 Apr (iNaturalist) was approximately mid-way between the latter two areas, and at the south end of the range, the boundary was extended south to areas northwest (ph. Sergio Alcalá et al.) and northeast (Ryan P. O’Donnell) of San José del Cabo, and east to Cabo Pulmo (aud. Álvaro San José). As further investigation of less well covered—less attractive—habitats occurs, we are likely to learn of additional localities for this demure species.

The Bobolinks listed in Table 2 include two from the Cape District, where there were just two previous records. Winter Orchard Orioles north of the Cape District were found on the Maneadero Plain (one in Feb, two in Dec) and San Ignacio (two in Mar).

Streak-backed Oriole was well represented this year. Two at Ramaditas 6 Feb (ph. †L. Q. Kahle, ph. R. A. Erickson) was a high count for the peninsula and established another instance of exceptional representation of southwestern vagrants on the Magdalena Plain. A single bird there 9 Nov (†L. Q. Kahle, R. A. Erickson) was likely one of the same birds returning. Farther north, one at Oasis del Eden 17 Oct (ph. †L. Q. Kahle) was the first for the Vizcaíno Peninsula region, an area scoured for fall vagrants for nearly 30 years.

Our annual summary of Tricolored Blackbird observations is mixed. A couple of years with adequate rainfall forestalled what otherwise might have been a more extreme decline in numbers. Approximately 300 birds nested successfully near the California border in the twin marshes at Ciénega Redonda and Rancho Ciénega Redonda, where the marsh at the former site had been cleared and unusable for several years. Most encouraging was the discovery of a successful nesting colony of approximately 150 birds in Tijuana Mcp. at Mesa Redonda—unrelated to Ciénega Redonda (all nesting data from R. A. Erickson). Other selected observations were good (500 at Ciénega Redonda 20 Feb [L. Q. Kahle]; 53 roosting on the coast at Bajamar 16 Oct [ph. Benjamin Guo, ph. David de Rivera Tønnessen]) and bad (unrecorded south of the Ensenada area; a high of only 10 seen in the Ojos Negros Valley). Meanwhile, Bronzed Cowbird doubled down on its poor performance from last year (unrecorded in the Mexicali Valley) and went unrecorded altogether in the region this year. Countering these trends, Great-tailed Grackles were present for much of the year in the Cape District, with high counts of six at Estero San José, two at La Paz, and one at La Ribera.

The fall vagrant warbler season was a good one, with several species posting record numbers (Table 2). Foremost was Tennessee Warbler. A remarkable 63 apparent fall migrants were noted 20 Aug–11 Nov, with all but four coming from the Vizcaíno Peninsula northward. This is more than three times the previous single-fall high count. Following this, there was an above-average number of wintering Tennessee Warblers in the Cape District, with at least five in the southern Cape District along with three in southwestern La Paz Mcp. that may well have been wintering. This provides a rare instance of a species being well represented in fall corresponding with good winter numbers. Lucy’s Warbler similarly had a truly impressive fall season, with 45 observed, about doubling the previous regional high count. As is typical, the vast majority were clustered around the Vizcaíno Peninsula, but records reached from Tijuana to the Cape District. Blackburnian Warbler provided the greatest concentration of vagrants by one species, with four at Bajamar 17 Oct (ph. Kurt A. Radamaker). The rarest warblers were all in BC: Golden-winged Warbler on the Maneadero Plain 6 Nov (ph. L. Q. Kahle), with two previous regional records (BC 1991; BCS 1996); Cerulean Warbler at Bajamar 6–17 Oct (ph. René A. Valdés-Peña, ph. R. A. Erickson et al.), with two previous regional records (BC 1925, 2000); and Grace’s Warbler near Bahía San Quintín 25 Oct–1 Nov (ph. L. Q. Kahle, Desmond E. Sieburth). Most of the unusual wintering warblers were in BCS and this year included four Cape May Warblers, one Northern Parula, one Magnolia Warbler, and one Bay-breasted Warbler (San Ignacio 8 Mar; ph. Steven G. Mlodinow, ph. G. Marrón; photo in North American Birds 76(1): 63; first such record for the region), four Chestnut-sided Warblers, one Yellow-throated Warbler, and two Painted Redstarts. The only contributions from BC were a Chestnut-sided Warbler lingering in Tijuana to 8 Feb and a returning Painted Redstart at El Rosario.

It was a good year for tanagers across the board. Scarlet Tanager had its best showing in four years (Table 2) and Summer Tanager had a truly incredible year, with more than 50 recorded in BC alone. Meanwhile, Hepatic Tanager had, by far, its best year ever—corresponding to good numbers in southern California (McCaskie and Garrett. 2025. Winter 2024–2025, Southern California <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-j77> North American Birds)—with six observed from Oct onward. Wintering or presumed wintering birds were at Maneadero Plain, Punta Banda (returning for a second winter), and El Rosario. Fall migrants were at I. Natividad 9 Oct (†L. Q. Kahle), the first for Mulegé Mcp. and greater Vizcaíno Peninsula region; Cataviña 21–27 Oct (ph. †L. Q. Kahle, Desmond E. Sieburth); and in the Sierra San Pedro Mártir 25 Oct (ph. Benjamin Guo, David de Rivera Tønnessen). The following were all unseasonal in the Cape District: Indigo Bunting at San Pedro de la Presa 25 Jun (ph. G. Marrón et al.), Painted Bunting at La Paz 9 Mar–18 Apr (†Jonathan Vargas et al.) and Dickcissel at Cabo San Lucas 22 Jan (ph. Will Sebern).

Exotic Species

Two more exotic species came into our consciousness this year: Egyptian Goose and Wild Turkey. Photos of these and three species of amazons are included here for documentation. Like most of the exotic species in our region, we are at the periphery of naturalized, or naturalizing, ranges in adjacent southern California. In most cases, our eBird exotic codes exactly match those of San Diego County. Swinhoe’s White-eye was first detected in the region—in Tijuana Mcp.—in Dec 2021. It was found south to Ensenada this year, where nesting was confirmed 12 Jul (ph. Antonio Maldonado). Meanwhile, Scaly-breasted Munia—first detected in Dec 2012 and found south to the edge of the Vizcaíno Desert in 2013 and 2016—has withdrawn its range, at least temporarily. Only one was found south of Tijuana Mcp. this year.

Annual update of Status Codes for the States and Municipios of the Baja California Peninsula

We have updated the list of all species recorded in each of the municipios on the peninsula through 2024, and season and abundance codes for all (download spreadsheet). The same information is shown for Baja California, Baja California Sur, and for the two states combined. Kurt Radamaker continues to offer an online GIS version of an updated map of the region—including municipios not yet acknowledged in eBird—where users can zoom in on areas of particular interest to them.

The spreadsheet remains preliminary. We have tried for consistent treatment in all situations, but inconsistencies are bound to remain. Downscaling state status codes to the municipio level is problematic. Although a species may be labeled as rare for the state (“rare, but annual or nearly so”) and be distributed equally throughout the state, it becomes harder to reach the nearly annual threshold in smaller regions such as municipios. And the municipios themselves vary greatly in size. Additional issues in creating—and maintaining—the spreadsheet were discussed in previous reports.

Sixty-one naturally occurring species—compared to only 43 in 2023—and four exotic species were recorded in all 12 municipios in 2024. These included many of our most common and widespread species, e.g., Mourning Dove, Costa’s Hummingbird, American Coot, California Gull, Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Common Raven, Northern Mockingbird, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, White-crowned Sparrow, Hooded Oriole, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Shading

Shaded cells indicate species recorded in that state or municipio during 2024.

Darker shading indicates species recorded for the first time in that area in 2024.

Codes

We abbreviate Baja California Peninsula as BCP, Baja California as BC, and Baja California Sur as BCS. The codes used follow Erickson et al. (2013. Erickson, R. A., R. Carmona, G. Ruiz-Campos, M. J. Iliff, and M. J. Billings. Annotated Checklist of the birds of Baja California and Baja California Sur, second edition. North American Birds 66: 582–613.), which were modified from Howell et al. (2001; Howell, S. N. G., R. A. Erickson, R. A. Hamilton, and M. A. Patten. An annotated checklist of the birds of Baja California and Baja California Sur, pages 171–203 in: Birds of the Baja California Peninsula: Status, Distribution, and Taxonomy. Monographs in Field Ornithology No. 3.).

Abundance Codes

c common

u uncommon

r rare, but annual or nearly so

vr very rare: less than annual but more than five records

x extremely rare: five or fewer records

esc. records only involve birds judged to be escapees by eBird definition

Seasonal Codes

R confirmed or presumed breeding resident

S breeding summer resident

W winter visitor

T transient migrant in spring and fall

Sp spring transient migrant; depending upon the species involved, this period may begin as early as January or end as late as July

F fall transient migrant; depending upon the species involved, this period may begin as early as June or end as late as December

V non-breeding visitor; present up to all year (mainly seabirds)

[ ] use of brackets indicates former status, generally >40 years ago for species now considered historical only, but may be as few as 10–12 years for declining species

Breeding Codes (used at state level and above only)

* confirmed breeding species: nests, eggs, dependent young (except some waterbirds, e.g., begging juvenile terns, which may travel with adults for hundreds of km), adults nest building (except woodpeckers, wrens, and Verdin), which may drill/build roost nests), adult(s) carrying food/fecal sac, adults entering nest cavity, birds collected in breeding condition by reliable collectors (cf. Binford, L. C. 1989. A distributional survey of the birds of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Ornithological Monographs 43: 68).

*? probable breeding: adult(s) singing, courting, displaying, territorial and/or agitated as if nest and/or young nearby, in season and in range/habitat

+ possible breeding: adult(s) in season in range/habitat

( ) irregular and/or former (confirmed, probable, or possible) breeding, e.g., waterbirds dependent on ephemeral water conditions

[ ] former (confirmed, probable, or possible) breeding, i.e., species considered extirpated or extinct

Documentation Codes (used at state level and above only)

S unqualified sight record

SP sight record published with adequate supporting documentation

S! sight record; written documentation archived (cf. Hamilton, R. A. and S. N. G. Howell. 2001. Log of bird record documentation archived at the San Diego Natural History Museum, pages 242–253 in: Birds of the Baja California Peninsula: Status, Distribution, and Taxonomy. Monographs in Field Ornithology No. 3. )

SoP sonogram published

PP identifiable photographic record published, includes stills captured from video tape

# specimen record, including eggs

Acknowledgments

Once again, the great majority of information summarized here came directly from eBird. We are the primary eBird reviewers for the region, but we received assistance from Adriana Hernández Álvarez, Jorge Cristerna, Marshall J. Iliff, and Steven G. Mlodinow. Reports in iNaturalist helped round out our coverage.

In addition to the observers cited above, we wish to thank the following individuals for uncited observations or other assistance provided during the year: Víctor Ayala-Pérez, Andrew Birch, José Juan Butrón Rodríguez, Alejandra Calvo Fonseca, Roberto Carmona, Carlos Córdova, Horacio de la Cueva, George Flicker, Mary Flicker, Michael P. Force, Peter A. Gaede, Daniel Galindo Espinoza, Tom Haglund, Robert A. Hamilton, Steve N. G. Howell, Cin-Ty A. Lee, Paul E. Lehman, Nick Lethaby, Robert J. Meese, Greg Meyer, Ethan G. Monk, Anny Peralta-García, Michael L. P. Retter, Thomas P. Ryan, Wendy Schackwitz, Eduardo Soto Montoya, Gary J. Strachan, Ryan S. Terrill, Philip Unitt, and Jorge Valdéz Villavicencio. Hamilton and Howell offered comments on the report and Iliff provided a careful review of portions of the revised checklist.

Report edited by Andrew Keaveney, 24 Sep 2025.