Los Angeles Region Habitats

The place where a bird or other living creature is normally found is termed its “habitat.” Birds are quite diverse in their habitat requirements. You won’t see a Wrentit over open salt water or a Killdeer in a tree. The secret to finding and identifying birds is knowing their habitats and understanding which birds are likely to be seen where. The more habitats you explore, the greater the variety of birds you will see.

We have identified 12 major habitat types for the Los Angeles Region, only hinting at the incredible ecological complexity of the region. These habitats merge into one another and overlap in complex ways, and each habitat type has many variations. Bird diversity is highest where various habitats adjoin. Some species, like the Mourning Dove or Red-tailed Hawk, are equally at home in a great variety of habitats, whereas others seek habitats as specialized as a rocky shorelines (Black Turnstone) or a boulder-strewn canyon bottom (Canyon Wren).

To learn more about Los Angeles Region habitats, order the book,
Birds of Los Angeles Region.