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Lake Merritt Birds

​Bird Walk
       
​Free Lakeside Park bird walks the fourth Wednesday of each month. Lead by knowledgeable and experienced Audubon guide Hilary Powers and others. 9:30 a.m. meet at geodesic dome near the Nature Center.
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Enjoy an overview of the diverse and fascinating land and water birds that grace the shores of Lake Merritt. Through curated photographs this video offers a unique opportunity to celebrate the natural wonders of Lake Merritt.  

Delve into the rich history and significance of Lake Merritt, America's First Wildlife Refuge. Established in 1870, this iconic urban refuge holds a distinguished place in the conservation landscape of the United States. Gain insights from notable commentators, including Libby Schaaf, Oakland Mayor; Joel Parrot, Oakland Zoo Executive Director; Clay Anderson, Audubon Guide; and Pam Young, Golden Gate Audubon Society Executive Director.  Excerpts from "150th Anniversary of LM Wildlife Refuge" produced by Lakemerritt.org and Rotary Nature Center Friends, 2020
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Birds of Merritt, a visual guide to 72 Lake Merritt birds.  
A variation of this visual guide was first published for Lake Merritt Institute.  
Birds listed in alphabetical order.
 Photos taken at Lake Merritt ©lakemerritt.org by John Kirkmire. 
When trying to identify birds keep in mind some birds are migratory and some birds change plumage during the mating season. Males are usually more colorful than their female counterparts who often appear in muted colors of brown and gray. Juveniles will more than likely take on the coloring of the females until maturing.​  There are over 100 different types of birds at LM during the year. 
american coot
american crow
american goldfinch
american robin
american white pelican
anna's hummingbird
barn owl
barrow's goldeneye
belted kingfisher
bewick's wren
black phoebe
black-crowned night heron
black-throated gray warbler
brewer's blackbird
brown pelican
bufflehead
bushtit
california towhee
canada geese
california scrub jay
canvasback
caspian tern
cayuga duck (rare)
cedar waxwings
chestnut-backed chickadee
clark's grebe
cliff swallow (under LM Blvd bridge)
common goldeneye (female & male)
common merganser
european starling
cooper's hawk
dark-eyed junco
domestic geese
double-crested cormorant
downy woodpecker
eared grebe
forster's tern
glaucous-winged gull
golden-crowned sparrow
great blue heron
green heron
house finch
house sparrow
Hutton's vireo
lesser goldfinch
mallards
mourning dove
muscovy duck
nuttall's woodpecker
oak titmouse
northern rough-winged swallow
pied-billed grebe
red-breasted nuthatch
red fox sparrow
red-tailed hawk
redhead (rare)
ring-billed gull
rock pigeons
ruby-crowned kinglet
ruddy duck
scaup
snowy egret
song sparrow
steller’s jay
townsend's warbler
tufted duck (rare)
western bluebird
western grebe
western gull
white-crowned sparrow
yellow-rumped warbler
Birds identified and photographed at Lake Merritt: american coot, american crow, american goldfinch, american robin, american white pelican, anna's hummingbird, barn owl, barrow's goldeneye, belted kingfisher, bewick’s wren, black-crowned night heron, black phoebe, black-throated gray warbler, brewer’s blackbird, brown pelican, bufflehead, bushtit, california gull,  california towhee, canada geese, canvasback, caspian tern, cayuga duck, cedar waxwing, chestnut-backed chickadee, clark's grebe, cliff swallow, common loon, common merganser, common goldeneye, cooper's hawk, dark-eyed junco, domestic geese (brown, grey, white), double-crested cormorant, downy woodpecker, eared grebe,  egyptian goose, european starling,  falcon, forster's tern,  glaucous-winged gull, golden-crown sparrow,  great blue heron,  great egret,  green heron, herring gull, horned grebe, house finch, house sparrow, hybrid duck, lesser goldfinch, mallard, mew gull, mourning dove, muscovy duck, northern rough-winged swallow, nuttall's woodpecker, oak titmouse, orange-crowned warbler, pied-billed grebe,  red-breasted nuthatch, red-breasted sapsucker, red-tailed hawk, redhead, rock pigeon, ringed-bill gull, rooster, ruby-crowned kinglet, ruddy duck, scaup (both greater and lesser), snowy egret, song sparrow, stellar's jay, townsend's warbler, tufted duck, violet-green swallow, western bluebird, western grebe, western gull, western scrub-jay, white-crowned sparrow, yellow-rumped warbler… 
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LM Bird photo archive, click on photo to open

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Bellevue Club Lake Merritt Birds Mural (click on image to view collection)
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website and photos ©2025 lakemerritt.org
​
  • Home
  • Gardens
  • Birds
  • Recreation
  • History
  • Necklace of Lights
  • 150th
  • LM Links
  • Volunteer
  • LM Advocates
  • LM Breakfast Club
  • Fairyland
  • Autumn Lights
  • R. Nature Cntr
  • LM Dispatch
  • LM Institute
  • LM Weed Warriors
  • LM Projects
  • Park Info
  • Oakland Band
  • Lakeside Art
  • Litter SOS
  • Homeless@LM
  • LM YouTube
  • Contact & Photo Archive