Santa Barbara Audubon Society

SBAS was founded in 1963 when the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s Bird Study Group became a chapter of the National Audubon Society. Our programs, most of which are free and open to the public, are supported by volunteers, chapter memberships, donations, and grants. Board members and Committee Chairs are all volunteers.

Our Field Trips Committee leads bird walks and field trips. Our Programs Chair engages speakers to present monthly programs. Our Education Committee organizes outreach such as Winter Bird Count for Kids and Meet Your Wild Neighbor classroom program. Eyes in the Sky is the only licensed raptor education program in the county. Operating from the Audubon Aviary at the Museum of Natural History, our rescued raptors serve as avian ambassadors to the public. Every year we hold or support special events such as the Christmas Bird Count.

Our Conservation/Science Committee provides guidance and input on local planning and management and projects that impact birds. This includes stewardship of open spaces, protection of wetlands, and environmentally sensitive approaches to development. We collaborate with environmental partners in the county and, when need be, work to ensure that federal, state, and local laws providing protections to birds and bird habitat are honored. We advance our knowledge of birds through both community science such as the Christmas Bird Count and research-based project such as our Breeding Bird Study and monitoring programs such as Tree Swallow nest boxes.