Santa Cruz Island, California
All of the Channel Islands off Southern California are fascinating spots to see birds, but Santa Cruz has a bonus: It’s the only place the big, boldly colored Island Scrub-Jay calls home. Birding here also features Peregrine Falcons, Rock Wrens, an endemic subspecies of Rufouscrowned Sparrow, and a rich variety of other residents and migrants, plus the potential for seabirds on the trip from the mainland.
Machias Seal Island, Maine-New Brunswick
For years the United States and Canada have each claimed this 20-acre island. The real owners, however, are thousands of seabirds that nest here every summer. Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills are the main inhabitants, while Common Murres, Black Guillemots, and Arctic Terns also crowd in. The number of human visitors is sharply limited, so advance…
