Besides being a wonderful showcase for plants from around the world, the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden also represents a small oasis of wildlife habitat in the urban landscape of Los Angeles. The diversity of plantings and the vital presence of water year round make the garden a desirable spot for a surprising number of bird species to visit or call home. Generations of UCLA undergraduates have conducted exercises for biology courses in the garden, observing scrub jays, hummingbirds, and other species. The ability to conduct such exercises on campus without the time and cost of traveling to habitats outside the city make our garden an invaluable educational facility for the university. Whereas interesting birds can appear in any part of the garden, there are some areas that are especially good spots to look. Not surprisingly, resident native species, such as the California Towhee and Bewick's Wren, are most reliably found on or near the hillside planted with native vegetation. Migratory species such as warblers and thrushes are most common in the trees along the creek.
The following are the bird species that have been identified at MEMBG during the last seven years. The information is not derived from any systematic surveys but mostly based on observations and notes I have made over this time while walking through the garden to and from my office in the Botany building. I have annotated the list to give some information about when each is likely to be encountered in the garden.
Sharp-shinned Hawk. Scarce, but annual, especially during migration
Cooper's Hawk. Occasional, not seen every year
Red-tailed Hawk. Uncommon, but occasionally a long-term resident
Red-shouldered Hawk. Occasional visitor, mostly during migration
Peregrine Falcon. Extremely rare visitor
Rock Dove. Common, but does not seem to spend much time in the garden itself; Old World import
Mourning Dove. Common, probably nests
Canary-winged Parakeet. Common, especially during springtime; likes to feed in kapok trees; South American import
Mitred Parakeet. Formerly common, much less so in recent years; South American import
Great Horned Owl. Occasionally heard at nighttime; exact status unclear
White-throated Swift. Flies over during migration
Vaux's Swift. Flies over during migration
Anna's Hummingbird. Abundant breeding resident
Allen's Hummingbird. Very common migrant, occasionally overwinters in the garden
Rufous Hummingbird. Probably occasional migrant
Costa's Hummingbird. Probably occasional migrant
Nuttall's Woodpecker. Uncommon, does not seem to be a resident, but can be seen throughout the year
Black Phoebe. Very common during winter and migration
Western Scrub Jay. Very common breeder and year-round resident
American Crow. Common year-round visitor
Common Raven. Present year-round; not especially numerous but very conspicuous; has nested across the street on a ledge of the Factor Building for the past several years
Bushtit. Abundant breeder and year-round resident
Bewick's Wren. Not very common, but present year-round visitor. Possibly breeds.
House Wren. Occasional breeder, present spring and summer only
Winter Wren. Very rare; Professor Martin Cody head one last winter; occurs here south of its normal wintering range
Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Common during winter and migration
Hermit Thrush. Secretive but fairly common migrant and winter visitor; mostly seen in dense vegetation along the creek
Swainson's Thrush. Uncommon migrant
American Robin. Fairly common, mostly during migration
Northern Mockingbird. Common permanent resident and breeder
Cedar Waxwing. Probably present year-round, but most common during winter and migration; sometimes present in flocks of hundreds
European Starling. Common year-round breeder; European import
Orange-crowned Warbler. Fairly common migrant, but a few usually overwinter in the garden
Nashville Warbler. Rare migrant
Yellow-rumped Warbler. Abundant October through May and probably the most common bird on the UCLA campus during winter
Black-throated Gray Warbler. Fairly common migrant, but a few usually overwinter
Townsend's Warbler. Fairly common migrant, but a few usually overwinter
Hermit Warbler. Very uncommon, but probably a small number of migrants annually
Wilson's Warbler. Fairly common annual migrant
Western Tanager. Fairly common annual migrant, especially during the fall; sometimes in small flocks
Black-headed Grosbeak. Rare migrant that seems to be found more often during springtime
Spotted Towhee. Fairly common resident, probably also nests
California Towhee. Common resident, probably also nests
White-crowned Sparrow. Uncommon during winter
Brewer's Blackbird. Abundant on campus but only seen occasionally in the garden
Brown-headed Cowbird. Occasionally seen foraging on the lawns
Hooded Oriole. Uncommon but sometimes nests in the garden during spring and summer only
House Finch. Abundant year-round resident, nests
Lesser Goldfinch. Common during spring and summer, nests; rare or absent during winter
DR. GREGORY R. SCHROTT, UCLA Ph.D. 2001