Yes. No account, no email, no ads. Pick a place and download the PDF.

Where does the bird data come from?

Public, license-clean records from GBIF, the IOC World Bird List, USGS, and iNaturalist.

Does it work outside the US?

Yes. Every US state, plus countries, continents, and a global list — anywhere with bird occurrence records.

A birding tradition: count how many species you can see in one place over a calendar year. The same approach works for a Big Day, Big Week, or Big Month.

Can I customize my checklist?

Yes. Filter by season, common vs rare, and family before you download.

Big Year Bird Checklist for California

A free printable California bird checklist. Pick your goal, get the PDF.

California has the longest state checklist in the country. From pelagic waters to the Sierra crest to the deserts, a serious California big year can clear 400 species.

The tool builds you a printable checklist of every bird realistically possible in California, grouped by family, with seasonal markers and a space to log the date you spot each one. It's drawn from public, license-clean records — not a generic national list, but the species that actually occur where you're birding.

Pick California (or any area inside it), choose your goal — Big Day, Big Month, Big Year, or a life list — and download the PDF. Free, no account, no email. Print it, fold it in a field guide, and start checking birds off.

What you'll find on a California checklist

A California checklist mixes widespread residents with the specialties that make the state worth a big year. A few you'll want to target:

California Scrub-Jay — Widespread western jay.
Acorn Woodpecker — Oak-granary colonies.
Wrentit — Chaparral skulker with a bouncing-ball song.
California Thrasher — Endemic chaparral thrasher.
Yellow-billed Magpie — A true California endemic.
Allen's Hummingbird — Coastal-scrub breeder.
Mountain Quail — High-chaparral and montane.
Tricolored Blackbird — Colonial near-endemic.
Lawrence's Goldfinch — Nomadic foothill finch.
Spotted Owl — Old-growth forest target.
Black Oystercatcher — Rocky-shore resident.
Anna's Hummingbird — Year-round yard bird.

Your generated PDF includes every realistic species for the exact area you pick, with seasonal markers and a space to log each sighting.

This is a preview. For your full printable list:

Build a complete, customizable California checklist — filter by season, by how common a bird is, and by family, then download the PDF.

What kind of list do you need?

Birders use “Big” challenges to make birding count. Pick the timeframe you're working with — we'll tune the list for it.

Better With Birds

Shop the birds you love

Chasing a California big year? You're going to like the apparel, prints, and stickers we've designed around these birds.

California Scrub-Jay, Acorn Woodpecker, Wrentit, California Thrasher — all illustrated and designed by Jaymi at Better With Birds. Made-to-order, never mass-printed.