Connecting People with Birds
Our mission is to share the fun of birding, promote conservation and scientific understanding of wild birds and their habitats, and offer engaging, science-based education emphasizing the communities of Napa and Solano counties.
Learn more about us
Get Involved
Napa-Solano Birds is predominantly a volunteer organization. To make our programs successful we need membership involvement in all of our activities. Donating even a few hours of time can help a lot. There are all sorts of fun ways to get involved – from helping out with a classroom visit, bird walk or special event, to monitoring your own area for breeding birds.
Bird Family Galleries
Welcome to Napa Solano Audubon Society!
Bird of the Week – Northern Waterthrush
Select to learn more about this bird
Job Announcement – Napa Solano Audubon is
Looking for Classroom Instructors
Do you like watching birds? Would you like to inspire the next generation of birders and conservationists? Are you interested in part-time work with a flexible schedule? If so, apply to be a Classroom Instructor for Napa Solano Audubon Society. Our classroom instructors conduct classes in elementary schools in Napa and/or Solano Counties. They may also assist with Beginning Bird Walks, the Christmas Bird Count for Kids, and may provide support for other NSAS Events, and Citizen Science activities, to fit their schedules and interests. Training will be provided, as needed. The position runs from September to June 2025-26, with potential to become an ongoing position. For more information about this job and its qualifications, and to send a letter of interest, please click here.
Our NSAS Board has Voted to Participate in the
CA Breeding Bird Atlas Project.
What is a Breeding Bird Atlas (BBA)? And why is it so important? A Breeding Bird Atlas (BBA) is a large-scale, multi-year project that documents the breeding distribution and activity of bird species within a specific geographic area, such as a state or county. It provides crucial data for understanding changes in bird populations and their habitats, informing conservation and management efforts. This current State-wide project, being coordinated by the California Bird Atlas organization, with well- known birder, Van Pierszalowski serving as the Executive Director, is especially important, as California is one of only 6 states that has never engaged in a state-wide atlas. In fact, only 16 of our 58 counties have ever published a BBA. We are proud of the work by our many volunteers who completed 2 of the 16 state-wide atlases in both Napa and Solano Counties in years past.
However, it has been 32 years since NSAS completed the field work for the first Napa Breeding Bird Atlas in 1993. The information was published 10 years later in 2003. The field work for the first Solano County BBA was held from 2005-2010 more than 15 years ago and was published in 2014. Many changes have occurred in our area during the past 15–30 year span as a result of housing and urban development that are sure to have impacted birds and their habitats since our last BBAs were completed. A new BBA would be of huge value to document the changes to birds, our landscape, and consequential conservation needs and priorities.
In order to support this endeavor, we are attempting to raise $10,000 to contribute to the success of this project. We are hoping that our members will value this project as much as our Board of Directors and support us during the coming months both as volunteer birders, and in or efforts to raise these funds. We would like to thank our members in advance for their incredible support over the years. We are hopeful this BBA Project will continue our important work of supporting birds and protecting critical habitats throughout our region and across our state. To help us with the costs of this project, please select the Donate Button at the top of this page. To read more about the BBA CLICK HERE!
NSAS Monthly Speaker Series Presents: A Bird’s Rainbow with Bob Lewis
November 13th at 7:00 p.m. at the Napa Valley Lutheran Church
Many birds are brightly colored, others use patterned feathers for camouflage. How do these colors originate? What’s the difference between colors from pigments and physical colors? From Yellow warblers to Anna’s Hummingbirds, from Snow Geese to Brewer’s Blackbirds, each species makes unique use of the feather colors it possesses. What do the colors indicate to other birds? And do birds see the same colors we do? Bob will unravel some of the mysteries of color in birds with a little chemistry, a bit of physics, and a lot of brightly colored slides.
Weekly Field Trips to Napa & Solano County Hotspots
with Andrew Ford are in Full Swing!
Everyone is Welcome to Join In!
To Sign Up to Receive Field Trip Announcements
Select the Activity Sign-up Button at the top of our Home Page.
Our Next Beginner Field Trip to American Canyon Wetlands
with Carol Boykin and Tom Slyker is Sunday, October 19th – 9:00a.m. – Noon
So, if you are dipping a toe into birding, or dusting off a pair of binoculars for the first time in a while and you want some company as you learn about birding, we’d be delighted to have you join us for our Beginners Bird Walks. We hold Beginner’s Walks at the American Canyon Wetlands Edge Park on two Sundays each month beginning at 9:00 a.m. No reservations are necessary, just plan to show up and enjoy being outdoors for a little while. Sign up for Field Trip Notices by clicking on the Activity Sign-up Button at the top of our Home Page or Check our Calendar for the next Beginner’s Bird Walk. These walks are open to birders of all levels and ages. It’s free, it’s fun, and loaner binoculars are on hand if you need them. Napa Solano Audubon membership is not required. Karina Garcia, Carol Boykin, and Tom Slyker lead these walks. They are citizen science volunteers and participate in the Napa Solano Audubon’s CA Birdseasons project at this wetlands park location. NSAS has been monitoring birds at this site every Monday morning since 2016. This monitoring has provided the participants with a wealth of knowledge about the birds you might see at this location. They have been observing numerous species of waterfowl, a variety of shorebirds including American Avocets and Black Necked Stilts, as well as a variety of raptors, while looking and occasionally spotting the secretive Sora and Virginia Rails.
Lapland Longspur
November Field Trip to Abbott’s Lagoon with Larry Kent
Saturday, November 15th – 8:00 a.m. – 4:00p.m.
Trip Details: Abbott’s Lagoon is a beautiful walk with chances for observing many land, marsh, and shorebird species as well as views of beach and ocean birds including possible scope views of Sooty Shearwaters. Each Fall, Abbott’s Lagoon hosts a variety of shorebird species including Pectoral, Baird’s and Ruffs, Golden Plovers, Snowy Plovers as well as Lapland Longspurs and Horned Larks.
More Details and Registration Information will be sent out in an upcoming eBlast. This field trip may be limited to 15-20 participants so be sure to register soon after receiving the eBlast information to assure a place on the trip.
Waved Albatross