Birds in the Golden Gate National Parks

Learn more about birds and birding in the parks.

Black and yellow peregrine falcon with white fluffy chicks in rocky nest
Conservation

All the fluffiness of the peregrine falcon chicks and their parents on Alcatraz...

In 2020, for the first time in recorded history, peregrine falcon chicks were born on Alcatraz Island. The peregrines returned in subsequent years and, in 2023, four chicks were born on the island!
GGRO Gear
Birds in the Golden Gate National Parks
Sharp-shinned Hawk Illustration by Lora Roame
Our Work
Although full interpretive talks weren’t possible in 2022, we did arrange our weekend schedules so that one GGRO staff person would also be a greeter to informally talk to people about the migration on Hawk Hill, and the results were wonderful.
Illustration of soaring Turkey Vulture looking downward.
Our Work
Beyond being widely misunderstood by the general public, Turkey Vultures are often misunderstood from an ecological perspective as well.
Illustration of bald eagle.
Our Work
The 2022 fall migration was a season of almost-recovery from COVID-19, but someone forgot to tip off the hawks, as we had one of our lowest overall counts in many years.
A Red-shouldered Hawk with brown and reddish-brown feathers looking over its shoulder, against a blue sky.
Conservation
Explore trends over 30 years of Red-shouldered Hawk migration observed at Hawk Hill.
Color-banded raptor.
Article
Red-tailed Hawks! This season was full of them. The 2018 field season ended with 342 Redtails banded-almost 100 Redtails above our 10-year average.
Black and yellow peregrine falcon with white fluffy chicks in rocky nest
Article
For the first time in recorded history, peregrine falcons have nested on Alcatraz Island! After months of observating the pair, park biologists have spotted two fledglings.
Cooper's Hawk nest
Article
The autumn raptor migration at the Golden Gate runs August through December. The spring migration is late February through May. So how is it that my neighborhood Bay Area Redtails are nesting in April? Shouldn’t they be migrating north? How exactly does the hawk breeding season fit between May and...
The chicks look anxious for their next meal. From the nest cameras on UC Berkeley’s Campanile Tower where Peregrine Falcons Annie and Grinnell have been nesting since 2017, and two baby chicks hatched in April 2019.
Our Work
The falcon chicks have hatched, and the world is watching! Check out our favorite moments in this gallery.