Birding Through Agoura and Malibu: A Southern California Road Trip Full of Local Specialties!

Southern California’s coastal and canyon habitats offer a spectacular diversity of birdlife. Few places capture that better than Agoura and Malibu. On our recent birding road trip, we revisited the oak-dotted grasslands of Agoura. We then continued through Malibu’s unique blend of beach, lagoon, and chaparral. Nuttall’s Woodpeckers in the canyons to Marbled Godwits on the shore, every stop added a piece of vibrant birding. Whether you’re chasing California specialties or just enjoying the mystic of Wrentits, Agoura and Malibu deliver an unforgettable birding experience.

Agoura

Exploring birds in Southern California, especially the many species found around Agoura and Malibu, offers fantastic opportunities to spot local species. One of our first stops for birds in Southern California was where I grew up in Agoura. I used to walk the dry creek bottom of Chesboro Canyon in search of California specialties like Allen’s hummingbirds, California towhees, California thrasher, Lawrence’s goldfinch and Nuttall’s woodpeckers. We choose a couple of target birds including Lawrence’s goldfinch and so had our ears open. We dipped on the goldfinch but did add Ash-throated flycatcher, Nuttall’s woodpecker, Red-shouldered hawk, Oak titmouse and California scrub-jay to the list. The new trails there make it very easy to hike along the canyon. Much easier than picking my way through the willows lining the creek bed. We recommend checking in on a guide that can help find you the birds you are looking for amidst birds in Southern California.

Traveling through the rest of the neighborhood north of Agoura high, we saw a large flock of Northern Rough-winged swallows, Lesser Goldfinch and other urban birds like House Finch, and Northern Mockingbird. From here we traveled to the coast on Las Virgenes Road out of Calabasas. That road follows Malibu Creek to the coast where it opens up into a Lagoon. Making a stop around Mulholland Hwy to hike the Live Oak grasslands will get you birds like Black-headed and Blue Grosbeaks, Lazuli’s Bunting, California Thrasher and Hermit Warbler. Observing birds in Southern California’s Agoura and Malibu reveals an exciting diversity.

Malibu

Malibu feels like home when we visit as I spent some time here as a teen. Malibu Lagoon is our favorite birding stop in Southern California, which has freshwater, saltwater, and sand dunes, perfect for finding the birds Southern California’s Agoura and Malibu are known for. The lagoon and beach are a favorite location for surfers and the dunes are a great location for shorebirds. We were specifically looking for Snowy Plovers but did not find the small waders. Someone has used a snow fence to block off an area of the beach that seems hospitable for the small birds nesting. We did find Whimbrel, Marbled godwit, Black-bellied Plover, and Short-billed Dowitcher. The Wrentits were calling from the Lemonade berry and the Allen’s hummingbirds were perched above them. We watched the Brown Pelicans, Double Crested Cormorants and Royal Terns spend some time in the lagoon. That all changed when an Adult Bald Eagle made it his business to start looking for someone to have for lunch. Make sure you visit the Santa Monica Bay Audubon Society site. An extremely valuable page that has all the resources you need to navigate the area. Don’t forget to drop a little thank you in the bucket.

We made our way to the pier where we had lunch at Malibu Farm Restaurant. The food and the service were fantastic. This is where we saw the western boundary of the Pacific Palisades fire. This is one of the great dangers of living in an area that burns on a regular basis. On the pier, we only saw a couple of birds, including Western gulls and a Great-tailed grackle. The grackles have made their way north since I had lived here 30 years ago. They are found in a few places in Southern California now.

Zuma Canyon

On our way up PCH we took a ride up Zuma canyon to find any of the parrots escaped here. When I worked in the area I remembered them calling from the fruit trees along the main road. We stopped for a quick moment after hearing the telltale screech of the transplanted parrots. They turned out to be Nanday Parakeets that have made their home in the canyon. They were raiding fruit and flowers along the way. Also in the canyon were Western bluebirds, Oak titmouse, Hooded oriole, California towhee. We also found the first of the Orange-crowned, Yellow and Yellow-rumped warblers of the year. If you spend some time here, spend some time in the canyon at the north end of the road. Stop at the beach for more waders, adding yet more adventure in the birds Southern California’s Agoura and Malibu.

The End

Revisiting my old stomping grounds was a great walk down memory lane. We added some great California specialties in the oak grasslands. After heading down memory lane we traveled to the coast where we spent some time with the surfers and the shorebirds. No Snowy plovers, but lots to see including Wrentits in the Lemonade berry bushes. After a great lunch on the pier, we made our way to Zuma Canyon where several species of Parrots are making their home after escaping cages. This is a wonderful way to see birds in some rural areas not that far out of Los Angeles by Birding Southern California in Agoura and Malibu.