Glen Canyon Park: Birding Hotspot
By Dominik Mosur
During the most significant drought in California in a millennium, a trickle of water continues to wind its way down Glen Canyon, nestled between the Glen Park, Diamond Heights, and Miraloma neighborhoods of south central San Francisco. These headwaters of Islais Creek — thought to be the largest creek in pre-settlement San Francisco — eventually empty into the Bay below Highway 280. It is some of the last and most extensive riparian habitat remaining in the City.
Riparian habitats — those along rivers, streams and other water courses — are scarce in San Francisco. Virtually all the creeks and streams once weaving their way down the hills and through the canyons on which the City was built have long been subjugated to human will through underground channelization. The only other free-flowing creek in San Francisco, Lobos Creek in the southwest corner of the Presidio, is mostly fenced off from public access.
With year-round water and high-quality habitat, Glen Canyon remains a prime spot to seek out locally-scarce riparian nesters and the gleaner flocks that also favor this location during migration and winter.
Main path in Glen Canyon Park, by Lee Hong Chang
Glen Canyon boardwalk and marshy area, by Alan Hopkins
Bewick’s Wren in Glen Canyon Park, by Lee Hong Chang
The steeper, upper section of the canyon where willows mix with scrub offers a unique plant community blend, where one can encounter locally rare resident Wrentit and Bewick’s Wren. In sum, close to 30 species of birds can be expected to at least attempt nesting in Glen Canyon each spring and summer, depending on the conditions.
In the past decade, under the management of San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department’s Natural Areas Program, restoration efforts along the creek have improved the habitat resulting in nesting success by Pacific-slope Flycatcher and probable nesting attempts by Swainson’s Thrush and Bullock’s Oriole. All three of these species are medium- to long-range migrants that spend their winters in the tropics.
Summit with Red-tailed Hawk, by Lee Hong Chang
Glen Canyon Park in winter, by Dan Harris
For seekers of rarities, the canyon over the years has hosted unusual migrants like Red-eyed Vireo, Rock Wren, Black-and-white-Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Indigo Bunting, Summer Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak among others.
Additionally, the canyon is home to some of the longest continuous resident Great Horned Owls and coyotes in San Francisco. These subsist in part on the introduced Eurasian brown rats that abound in the City, but their diet is also bolstered by meadow voles, a keystone rodent species that can be observed throughout the park.…