Wildlife of San Diego, California
San Diego sits inside one of the world's 25 biodiversity hotspots — the California Floristic Province — and holds more breeding birds than any other US county. Coastal sage scrub, kelp forests and Baja-influenced desert bring together species like the California gnatcatcher, garibaldi and roadrunner within an hour's drive.
Best timeApril – May for peak songbird migration, December – March for grey whale watching off the coast.
- 1San Diego County has more breeding birds than any other county in the continental US.
- 2Coastal sage scrub is one of the rarest habitats in North America.
- 3Grey whales pass twice a year, close enough to spot from La Jolla cliffs.
Signature species
Curated for San Diego, California, each tagged with its IUCN Red List status.
- NT
California gnatcatcher
Polioptila californica
- LC
Grey whale
Eschrichtius robustus
- EN
Pacific pocket mouse
Perognathus longimembris pacificus
- LC
Garibaldi
Hypsypops rubicundus
- LC
Roadrunner
Geococcyx californianus
IUCN codes — EX extinct · EW extinct in wild · CR critically endangered · EN endangered · VU vulnerable · NT near threatened · LC least concern · DD data deficient
Dos & don'ts
Local etiquette that keeps wildlife wild.
Do
- Watch whales from Cabrillo National Monument (Dec–Mar).
- Volunteer for tern-colony fencing at San Diego Bay.
- Keep distance — use zoom or binoculars, never bait animals closer.
- Stay on marked trails to avoid trampling nests, burrows and plants.
Don't
- Don't ride bikes off-trail through gnatcatcher habitat.
- Don't take kelp or urchins from tidepools.
- Never feed wildlife — human food changes behaviour and shortens lives.
- Don't share exact locations of nests, dens or rare species online.
Spotted here lately
Live from iNaturalist — research-grade observations within 50km, last 30 days.
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