Early AccessHelp us build the future of location-specific field guides. Limited-time pricing of $1.99 regularly $19.99 while we perfect the platform with your feedback.
← Back to California

Locations in San Mateo County, California

Species in San Mateo County

Common Species in San Mateo County

Showing 15 most frequently observed species out of 100 total documented species.

Pisaster ochraceus

Pisaster ochraceus

ochre stars

Very Common772 obs.
Anthopleura sola

Anthopleura sola

sun anemone

Very Common450 obs.
Zonotrichia leucophrys

Zonotrichia leucophrys

white-crowned sparrow

Very Common447 obs.
Melospiza melodia

Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow

Very Common444 obs.
Ardea herodias

Ardea herodias

Great Blue Heron

Common381 obs.
Larus occidentalis

Larus occidentalis

Western Gull

Common373 obs.
Zonotrichia atricapilla

Zonotrichia atricapilla

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Common373 obs.
Calypte anna

Calypte anna

Anna's Hummingbird

Common359 obs.
Buteo jamaicensis

Buteo jamaicensis

Red-tailed Hawk

Occasional359 obs.
Pelecanus occidentalis

Pelecanus occidentalis

Brown Pelican (Southern)

Occasional358 obs.
Sceloporus occidentalis

Sceloporus occidentalis

Pacific blue-bellied lizard

Occasional354 obs.
Junco hyemalis

Junco hyemalis

dark-eyed junco

Occasional352 obs.
Corvus brachyrhynchos

Corvus brachyrhynchos

American Crow

Occasional331 obs.
Patiria miniata

Patiria miniata

Rare322 obs.
Anthopleura xanthogrammica

Anthopleura xanthogrammica

giant green sea anemone

Rare314 obs.

Want the Complete Field Guide?

Get all 100 species with 3-4 high-quality images each, detailed descriptions, and a downloadable PDF for offline use.

Premium field guide includes identification tips, seasonal patterns, and professional layout optimized for field use.

Get Your Personalized Field Guide

Download a professional PDF field guide featuring all the species found in San Mateo County, California. Perfect for outdoor adventures, education, and nature exploration.

$1.99

Get Your Personalized Field Guide

Download a professional PDF field guide featuring all the species found in San Mateo County, California. Perfect for outdoor adventures, education, and nature exploration.

Your field guide will be delivered to this email address. Please double-check for accuracy.

$1.99

Natural Areas & Wildlife Locations in San Mateo County

Explore 41 documented locations in San Mateo County, California. Each area offers unique wildlife viewing opportunities with varying biodiversity levels.

🌿 High Biodiversity Hotspots (11 locations)

San Mateo County

A significant biodiversity area with 100 documented species. This location offers excellent wildlife viewing across multiple habitat types and seasons.

100
species

San Mateo

A significant biodiversity area with 100 documented species. This location offers excellent wildlife viewing across multiple habitat types and seasons.

100
species

Redwood City

A significant biodiversity area with 100 documented species. This location offers excellent wildlife viewing across multiple habitat types and seasons.

100
species

Menlo Park

A significant biodiversity area with 100 documented species. This location offers excellent wildlife viewing across multiple habitat types and seasons.

100
species

Daly City

A significant biodiversity area with 100 documented species. This location offers excellent wildlife viewing across multiple habitat types and seasons.

100
species

Foster City

A significant biodiversity area with 100 documented species. This location offers excellent wildlife viewing across multiple habitat types and seasons.

100
species

South San Francisco

A significant biodiversity area with 100 documented species. This location offers excellent wildlife viewing across multiple habitat types and seasons.

100
species

San Carlos

A significant biodiversity area with 100 documented species. This location offers excellent wildlife viewing across multiple habitat types and seasons.

100
species

Brisbane

A significant biodiversity area with 100 documented species. This location offers excellent wildlife viewing across multiple habitat types and seasons.

100
species

El Granada

A significant biodiversity area with 100 documented species. This location offers excellent wildlife viewing across multiple habitat types and seasons.

100
species

Emerald Lake Hills

A significant biodiversity area with 100 documented species. This location offers excellent wildlife viewing across multiple habitat types and seasons.

100
species

🦅 Wildlife Viewing Areas (8 locations)

Highlands-baywood Park

A productive wildlife area hosting 86 documented species. Great for nature enthusiasts seeking diverse wildlife experiences.

86
species

East Palo Alto

A productive wildlife area hosting 71 documented species. Great for nature enthusiasts seeking diverse wildlife experiences.

71
species

Hillsborough

A productive wildlife area hosting 40 documented species. Great for nature enthusiasts seeking focused wildlife experiences.

40
species

Alpine Pond

A productive wildlife area hosting 37 documented species. Great for nature enthusiasts seeking focused wildlife experiences.

37
species

Redwood Shores Lagoon

A productive wildlife area hosting 26 documented species. Great for nature enthusiasts seeking focused wildlife experiences.

26
species

Searsville Lake

A productive wildlife area hosting 25 documented species. Great for nature enthusiasts seeking focused wildlife experiences.

25
species

Pond Sf2

A productive wildlife area hosting 24 documented species. Great for nature enthusiasts seeking focused wildlife experiences.

24
species

Horseshoe Lake

A productive wildlife area hosting 22 documented species. Great for nature enthusiasts seeking focused wildlife experiences.

22
species

🌱 Emerging & Specialized Areas (9 locations)

Sausal Pond

A specialized habitat with 17 documented species. Perfect for targeted wildlife observation and unique ecosystem exploration.

17
species

Reflection Lake

A specialized habitat with 14 documented species. Perfect for targeted wildlife observation and unique ecosystem exploration.

14
species

Mindego Lake

An emerging wildlife area with 8 species documented. Ideal for discovering less-visited natural spaces.

8
species

Lake Lucerne

An emerging wildlife area with 8 species documented. Ideal for discovering less-visited natural spaces.

8
species

Schilling Lake

An emerging wildlife area with 4 species documented. Ideal for discovering less-visited natural spaces.

4
species

Upper Crystal Springs Reservoir

An emerging wildlife area with 3 species documented. Ideal for discovering less-visited natural spaces.

3
species

San Andreas Lake

An emerging wildlife area with 3 species documented. Ideal for discovering less-visited natural spaces.

3
species

Water Dog Lake

Near Belmont

An emerging wildlife area with 3 species documented. Ideal for discovering less-visited natural spaces.

3
species

Upper Emerald Lake

An emerging wildlife area with 2 species documented. Ideal for discovering less-visited natural spaces.

2
species

📍 Additional Locations (13 locations)

Bear Gulch Reservoir

Explore for wildlife potential

Big Lagoon

Explore for wildlife potential

Crocker Dam

Explore for wildlife potential

Cutter Scout Camp Pond

Explore for wildlife potential

Duck Pond

Explore for wildlife potential

Duck Pond

Explore for wildlife potential

Knuedler Lake

Explore for wildlife potential

Little Lagoon

Explore for wildlife potential

Pearsons Pond

Explore for wildlife potential

Pomponio Reservoir

Explore for wildlife potential

Duck Island

Near San Mateo
Explore for wildlife potential

Lower Emerald Lake

Explore for wildlife potential

Salamander Flat

Explore for wildlife potential

About Wildlife Data

Species counts represent documented wildlife observations from citizen science contributions. Higher counts often indicate areas with diverse habitats, active monitoring, or significant ecological importance. Each location offers unique opportunities to connect with San Mateo County's natural heritage.

Favicon Attribution: Graphics from Twemoji by Twitter, Inc and contributors Licensed under CC-BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: https://github.com/twitter/twemoji