Backyard birds in San Mateo, California
Which birds visit San Mateo yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from San Mateo's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 37.563°, -122.326°
- Population
- 103,536
- June 21 daylight
- 14 h 46 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 34 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:35 AM / 5:47 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- roughly 9 days later than the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 5a–11a
Nesting timing in San Mateo
The state guides give nesting windows for California as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 35.4°N). San Mateo is at 37.6°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts roughly 9 days later than the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. San Mateo goes from 9 h 34 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 14 h 46 min in June, a 5 h 12 min swing.
- Purple Martin — state window April–July; box hole 1 3/4–2 1/8 in round, or starling-resistant crescent (3 × 1 3/16 in)
- Downy Woodpecker — state window March–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Hairy Woodpecker — state window March–June; box hole 1 1/2 in round
- American Goldfinch — state window June–September
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window March–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- House Wren — state window April–August; box hole 1 to 1 1/8 in round
- House Finch — state window March–August
- Purple Finch — state window April–July
- Mourning Dove — state window February–September
- American Robin — state window March–July
Birds you can expect in San Mateo
Year-round residents (51)
Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinchs, White-breasted Nuthatchs, House Wrens, House Finchs, Purple Finchs, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Pine Siskins, Northern Mockingbirds, Tree Swallows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Steller's Jays, California Scrub-Jays, Mountain Chickadees, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Bushtits, Oak Titmice, Juniper Titmice, Pygmy Nuthatchs, Anna's Hummingbirds, Costa's Hummingbirds, Lesser Goldfinchs, Cassin's Finchs, California Towhees, Spotted Towhees, Gambel's Quail, California Quail, Western Bluebirds, Say's Phoebes, Black Phoebes, Acorn Woodpeckers, Gila Woodpeckers, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Nuttall's Woodpeckers, Cactus Wrens, Verdins, Bewick's Wrens, White-crowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Eurasian Collared-Doves
Summer breeders (10)
Purple Martins, Chipping Sparrows, Barn Swallows, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Mountain Bluebirds, Violet-green Swallows, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings, Bullock's Orioles, White-winged Doves
Winter visitors (3)
Wet, mild winters are the green season — the busiest time at coastal feeders as sparrows and hummingbirds settle in.
When to watch: dawn chorus in San Mateo
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In San Mateo, sunrise is around 6:35 AM in mid-April, 5:47 AM at the June solstice and 7:20 AM in late December (local time, America/Los Angeles). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for San Mateo yards
Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.
Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.
Seeds and bark insects; pygmy nuthatch and woodpecker habitat.
Late-season bloom supports insects; seed for sparrows.
Seed pods and insect-rich spring bloom.
Seed pods and cover for Verdins and quail.
Acorns anchor Acorn Woodpecker granaries and scrub-jay caches.
Acorns and a rich insect community in the Pacific Northwest.
Nearby cities in California
- Redwood City — 7 mi away, nesting about the same time as San Mateo
- Daly City — 12 mi away, nesting about the same time as San Mateo
- Palo Alto — 13 mi away, nesting about the same time as San Mateo
- San Leandro — 15 mi away, nesting about the same time as San Mateo
- Hayward — 15 mi away, nesting about the same time as San Mateo
- San Francisco — 16 mi away, nesting about the same time as San Mateo
Frequently asked
What birds live in San Mateo all year?
Year-round residents across California include Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Wren. All of them visit backyard feeders in San Mateo.
When do birds start nesting in San Mateo?
San Mateo sits at a different latitude from California's population centre, so nesting runs roughly 9 days later than the state-wide average, going by the rule of about 4 days per degree of latitude.
What time does the dawn chorus start in San Mateo?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In San Mateo, sunrise is around 6:35 AM in mid-April and 5:47 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — California
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- GeoNames gazetteer (city coordinates & population)
- NOAA Solar Calculator methodology
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.