This year, my family and I went on five fantastic birding trips to the Buckhorn Area in the San Gabriel Mountains, more specifically, the Angeles National Forest. The birds there were fantastic, but also a bit hard to find, so I’d like to share some tips for birding in the area based on the few trips we’ve done.
(Northern Pygmy-Owl, June 2025, Photo by Miles)
The Buckhorn Area:
[How to get there]
Drive to 34°20’36.1″N 117°55’16.4″W (the entrance) and have a sharp left turn. DON’T MISS THE TURN. The entrance is kind of hard to see, but after you get in, it will be easier (See “Birding Tips” section on this blog) on the one-way road.
The Buckhorn Area involves the Buckhorn Campground, Burkhart Trail, and the Buckhorn Day Use Area. The Buckhorn Day Use Area is a good place to go, but usually not the main part of birding at Buckhorn, and it is also not the same as the Burkhart Trail Day Use Parking Lot. The Buckhorn Campground involves a main road that is one-way, leading to all the places we need to go.
[Birding Tips]
I made a screenshot of Google Maps and made some notes on it:
A: The red area A is a long section of the creek that goes through the campground, where there are lots of bushes in and along it. The habitat is extremely good, and lots of migrating birds (warblers, thrushes, vireos, etc) can be seen foraging and drinking in this area. In the summer, this place turns into a famous breeding ground for MacGillivray’s Warbler. And in some sections along the creek where the water went fast and rocks lay on the river bed, it becomes a stable habitat for American Dippers, and they also might be breeding in the waterfalls along the creek. And Townsend’s Solitary might also be spotted during the summer.
(MacGillivray’s Warbler, June 2025, Photo by Miles)
(Swainson’s Thrush, May 2025, Photo by Miles)
(Townsend’s Solitary, June 2025, Photo by Miles)
B: The green area B is the Buckhorn Campsites, where you can camp and find some nuthatch (all three species), high altitude finches (both Cassin’s and Purple with no House). And Townsend’s Solitaires and Red-breasted Sapsuckers might also be spotted.
(Red-breasted Sapsuckers, June 2025, Photo by Miles)
(Purple Finch, May 2025, Photo by Miles)
C: The yellow area C has some tall pines and bare branches suitable for flycatchers. The Dusky Flycatcher, rare in lower places and can be easily spotted in C, and probably breeds there. Look for small Empidonax flycatchers, with thin white eye-rings and special calls and songs. It should either have a rough, messy belly that mixes a few blacks in the white belly, but still pale in the mid-belly region, or have a completely pale yellowish belly. It should never have a smooth gray side-belly and zero eye-ring like Pewees (Western Wood-Pewee) do.
(Dusky Flycatcher that has a completely pale yellowish belly, foraging, June 2025, Photo by Miles)
(Dusky Flycatcher that has a rough, messy belly that mixes a few blacks in the white belly, vocalizing, May 2025, Photo by Miles)
D: The blue line D is the major road in the Buckhorn, you should definitely bird along it! A lot of things can be seen along it, finches (Purple and Cassin’s), nuthatch (all three), woodpeckers (White-headed, Hairy, and Supsackers), swallows (Violet-green, and rare Purple Martins), chickadees (Mountain only), flycatchers (Dusky and Pewee), Towhees (Green-tailed and Spotted), Sparrows (Fox and Chipping), Creepers (Brown only)… It’s just great everywhere in Buckhorn!
(Red-breasted Nuthatch, May 2025, Photo by Miles)
(Fox Sparrow, May 2025, Photo by Miles)
[More Tips]
- Be aware at any time special things might pop up at any time!
- Be prepared to see or hear an OWL just like what’s in the cover photo!
- It would be cold up there, so bring enough clothes
- Due to winter weather conditions, the campground may be closed. Please check the official national forest website for the latest updates. That said, it’s a great time for birding when fewer people are there, and you can go anywhere you want instead of only on the roads!
- Overnight camping is a GREAT CHOICE!
- The price of overnight camping is cash only, $20 per night per campsite, and $10 for elders.
- Bring food, so you can bird longer in this extremely great location!
- Bring the National Forest Pass (or other passes that work)!
Good luck and have fun!!!
