Birding at Monterey Bay: where to go, what to see, and when
A deep submarine canyon brings the open ocean close to shore at Monterey Bay, making it one of the best places on the planet for pelagic seabirds — albatrosses, shearwaters, and storm-petrels — plus superb rocky-shore and shorebird birding. Here's how to bird it and when.
Going to Monterey Bay? Practice the birds you'll see →
Target species: the birds you come for
A few headliners define the trip list, and knowing them on sight is the difference between a good day and a great one:
- Black-footed Albatross — the star of a fall pelagic trip
- Shearwaters & storm-petrels — sometimes in the tens of thousands
- Marbled Murrelet & other alcids — the nearshore auks
- Rocky-shore birds — Black Oystercatcher, turnstones, Surfbird
- Rarities & seabird vagrants — the pelagic surprise factor
Browse the full list on eBird ↗.
Best areas to bird
Rather than a strict day-by-day route, think of it as a handful of distinct birding zones — most trips string together two or three. Each links to a quiz and to eBird:
1. Monterey / Moss Landing pelagic trips
Boat trips over the canyon for albatrosses, shearwaters, storm-petrels, and cetaceans — the main event.
2. Point Pinos & the rocky shore
Loons, scoters, alcids, and rockpipers from land.
3. Elkhorn Slough
A rich estuary for shorebirds, terns, and Sea Otters.
4. Carmel River mouth & lagoon
Shorebirds, gulls, and vagrant traps.
5. Andrew Molera / Big Sur coast
Condor country and coastal scrub birds.
Birds year-round vs. by season
Around all year
Beyond the pelagics, Monterey has a strong resident and wintering shore avifauna:
- Resident rocky-shore birds — Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Surfbird.
- Wintering loons, grebes, scoters, and alcids nearshore.
- California Condor along the Big Sur coast to the south.
Explore all species on eBird ↗.
Specialties by season
- Fall (Aug–Oct) — peak pelagic season — the greatest seabird numbers and diversity offshore.
- Winter (Nov–Feb) — nearshore waterbirds, rockpipers, and gulls.
- Spring–summer — breeding seabirds and shorebird passage; upwelling drives ocean productivity.
When to go
- August–October — the best pelagic window, with albatrosses and huge shearwater numbers.
- Winter — excellent from land for loons, scoters, and rockpipers.
Nearby & for a bigger trip
- Pair with Point Reyes to the north or San Diego to the south for a California coast trip.
- How-to: What is an eBird hotspot? · all birding guides
Prepare before you go
Pelagic birding is fast, distant, and unforgiving — a shearwater is a two-second look. Knowing the flight shapes and field marks beforehand is what turns a blur into an ID.