Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration

The UC Santa Barbara campus is fortunate to be surrounded by diverse natural areas that support a wide variety of wildlife. These areas—wetlands, grasslands, coastal sage scrub, and oak woodland—provide habitats necessary for the continued existence of many resident and migrant raptor species. Quite a few of these raptors can be seen on UCSB campus and outlying areas during specific times of the year. Visibility can depend on the time of day and the season. Most birds of prey prefer to hunt at dawn or dusk when their prey are more active, but they can also be seen foraging during the middle of the day. The reference area for this book includes the main UCSB campus, stretching west to Ellwood Mesa and east to the Goleta Slough.