Monterey County

Brown Pelican
Symbol of the Central Coast Birding Trail
Copyrighted Photo courtesy of: Peter La Tourette

Welcome to California's Central Coast.

Like all four counties on the Central Coast, Monterey offers many recreational opportunities in a beautiful natural setting of coastal plain that includes the Carmel and Salinas River estuaries and the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Sanctuary. Beyond are forest-canopied mountains and interior valleys. Elevation varies from sea level to 5862 feet at the summit of Junipero Serra Peak. There is also a near-shore deepwater canyon in Monterey Bay that provides the nutrients that attract a wide variety of pelagic birds and mammals. The slough, the bay and the Los Padres National Forest are Globally Important Bird Areas. Good birding opportunities extend beyond the 15 official trail sites. Field trips are regularly offered by Monterey Peninsula Audubon in addition to their Christmas count. 482 bird species have been recorded in the county including a Swallow-tailed Gull.

In addition to the trail site descriptions, please visit: 
Specialty birds of the Central Coast Birding Trail: Trail Specialty Birds 
Pelagic Birding on the Central Coast Birding Trail: Pelagic Birding 
Birding Event Calendars:  Central Coast Events
Local attractions after birding is done: AfterHours
Resources for birding the Central Coast Trail Areas: Resources

Monterey Penninsula Audubon Society maintains its own version of the Monterey County Central Coast Birding Trail locations.

For Further Information Contact:

Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society
PO Box 5656
Carmel, CA 93921
408-645-6617

North Cuesta Audubon Society 
805-528-7182
Serving the communities in southern Monterey and northeastern San Luis Obispo Counties.

Big Sur Ornithology Lab: 
408-624-1202
(bird banding and education classes)

Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
300 Forest Grove (bird exhibits)

Rare Bird Alert :
(interactive BirdBox) 
831- 626-6605

Audubon~California (National Audubon Society)
711 University Ave
Sacramento, CA 95825
916-649-7600

The mission of Audubon~California is to conserve and restore California's ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity.

References:
Roberson and Tenney 1993, Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Monterey County.
Roberson 1995, Monterey Birds.
(both available from the Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society)