St. Helena Public Cemetery

The St. Helena Cemetery is located at 2461 Spring St. and is about one mile west of downtown St. Helena. It was established in 1856 by the Hudson family as a private burial ground, with the burial of Sarah Hudson. It has been expanded since, including by acquisition of land in 1973, and continues as a public cemetery in 2018. The cemetery offers a unique habitat as it includes a diversity of trees both native and exotic that attract numerous birds. We encourage birding groups to enter quietly and bird from the established roads and pathways to respect the family members buried at this location.

Common Resident and Breeding Birds: Anna’s Hummingbirds, California Quail, Mourning Dove, Oak Titmouse, White-Breasted and occasional Red-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creeper, resident Hairy, Downy, Acorn and Nuttall’s Woodpeckers, and wintering Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Western Bluebird, Black Phoebe, Bewick’s and House Wrens, Tree, Violet-green, and Cliff Swallows, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Bushtits, American Robin, Northern Mockingbirds, Hutton’s and Warbling Vireos, Orange-crowned Warblers, Song Sparrows, Lesser Goldfinch, House Finch, American Crow, Stellar’s and California Scrub Jays, Spotted and California Towhees, Dark-eyed Juncos, Brewer’s and Red-winged Blackbirds are common resident birds. Turkey Vultures, Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, and Cooper’s Hawks frequent the trees and can be observed flying overhead