Birding spots · California

Best Birding Spots in Butte County, California

Gray Lodge Wildlife Area leads Butte County's birding spots with 173 species reported, best in winter. 78 spots in the county have enough data to rank.

Species counts are birds reported at least three times in that season at that spot, 2016–2025. Busy spots list more species simply because more people look, so compare the checklist counts. Spot names come from public map data and hotspot listings.

Spot	Species	Checklists	Winter	Spring	Summer	Fall
Gray Lodge Wildlife Area	173	928	146	132	84	127
North Central Valley Wildlife Management Area	166	1,512	110	147	34	103
Oroville Wildlife Area	152	807	98	96	77	110
Oroville Wildlife Area (southeast)	139	241	101	78	72	87
Oroville	119	375	95	68	45	84
Hamilton Slough	118	162	97	34	20	85
Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park	112	476	65	93	64	67
Plant Introduction Station Other	111	523	85	82	35	75
Bidwell Park (northeast)	110	109	67	83	24	22
Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge (Pine Creek)	108	252	56	90	64	49
Bidwell Park (east)	99	113	51	78	27	46
Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park (Indian Fishery)	98	194	57	74	58	74
North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve	97	175	36	95	0	5
Lake Oroville State Recreation Area (Sugarloaf Peak)	97	91	75	52	35	27
Lake Oroville State Recreation Area (east)	97	83	75	37	22	59
Oroville Wildlife Area (southeast)	96	73	43	69	53	27
Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park (Channel Slough)	95	135	21	74	65	40
Oroville Wildlife Area (Lava Beds (historical))	94	130	56	60	44	63
Horseshoe Lake	90	174	56	65	36	46
Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve	88	255	42	74	26	22
Fair Street Detention Ponds	86	141	55	57	29	42
Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve (northeast)	84	160	43	71	42	36
Five Mile Intensive Use	82	126	45	60	30	49
Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park (Mud Creek)	81	104	19	49	40	63
Riverbend Park	79	69	60	35	15	49
Bidwell Park	77	153	40	60	21	36
Oroville Wildlife Area (northeast)	77	51	57	27	1	14
Foothill Preserve	76	171	53	52	15	23
Lake Oroville State Recreation Area	76	104	56	0	0	64
Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park (Pine Creek)	76	92	37	38	32	54
Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park (south)	73	69	2	45	21	51
Little Chico Creek Greenway	71	155	42	28	11	53
Teichert Pond	71	117	41	29	36	39
Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area (Dodgeland)	71	68	20	45	34	39
Horseshoe Lake (southwest)	70	77	23	57	23	29
Butte Creek House Ecological Reserve	69	78	0	27	64	10
Bidwell Park (northeast)	68	113	27	54	38	31
Horseshoe Lake (east)	67	60	33	38	14	36
Oroville Wildlife Area (east)	65	94	44	18	23	29
Verbena Fields	64	83	43	53	21	28
Oroville Wildlife Area (Oroville Junction)	64	73	35	29	16	34
Little Chico Creek Greenway (northeast)	63	104	53	42	0	10
Lassen National Forest (southwest)	61	62	0	50	37	2
Oroville Wildlife Area (Lorraine (historical))	61	54	44	3	15	29
Little Chico Creek Greenway (northeast)	60	87	48	28	19	38
Lake Oroville State Recreation Area (Kelly Ridge)	60	57	27	8	8	44
Bidwell Park (Dead Horse Slough)	58	106	26	38	25	21
Paradise Lake	56	69	35	19	10	20
Lassen National Forest (Willow Creek)	55	115	9	32	49	11
Lassen National Forest (southwest)	54	65	0	42	39	16