Skip to content
  • Home
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • About Our Staff
    • About Our Board
    • Our Commitment to Diversity
    • GGBA Code of Conduct
    • Strategic Plan
    • Annual Report
    • Job Opportunities
    • GGBA in the News
  • Blog
  • Osprey Cam
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us
    • Join/Renew
    • Donate
    • Other Ways to Give
    • Planned Giving
    • Member Login
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • Violation Report
Golden Gate Bird Alliance
Golden Gate Bird Alliance
  • Education
    • Speaker Series
      • Past Speakers
    • Eco-Ed for Kids
    • Classes
      • Birding For Everyone Scholarship
    • Rotary Nature Center
  • Conservation
    • Conservation Info
    • Christmas Bird Counts
    • Bird-Friendly Coffee Club
  • Volunteer
  • Bird With Us
    • Birdathon 2023
    • Field Trips
    • Classes
      • Birding For Everyone Scholarship
    • Christmas Bird Counts
    • SF Bay Ospreys
    • Travel With GGBA
    • Birding Sites
    • Birding Resources
  • Archives
    • Trip Reports by Year
    • Past Speakers
    • The Gull Archives
    • GGBA Press Releases
    • Travel with GGBA – Past Tours
  • Log In
  • Donate
  • Become a Member
Golden Gate Bird Alliance
Golden Gate Bird Alliance
  • Education
    • Speaker Series
      • Past Speakers
    • Eco-Ed for Kids
    • Classes
      • Birding For Everyone Scholarship
    • Rotary Nature Center
  • Conservation
    • Conservation Info
    • Christmas Bird Counts
    • Bird-Friendly Coffee Club
  • Volunteer
  • Bird With Us
    • Birdathon 2023
    • Field Trips
    • Classes
      • Birding For Everyone Scholarship
    • Christmas Bird Counts
    • SF Bay Ospreys
    • Travel With GGBA
    • Birding Sites
    • Birding Resources
  • Archives
    • Trip Reports by Year
    • Past Speakers
    • The Gull Archives
    • GGBA Press Releases
    • Travel with GGBA – Past Tours
  • Log In
  • Donate
  • Become a Member
 

Morcom Rose Garden: Birding Hotspot

  • December 14, 2017

By Blake Edgar

In a sunken amphitheater between two of Oakland’s busiest boulevards, a pair of resident Wild Turkeys has been the most conspicuous avian attraction in recent months at the Morcom Rose Garden, delighting visitors as the tom persistently pursues his intended with a fully fanned tail. Turkeys also dominate the bird observations on iNaturalist from this location.

Roughly a mile from Lake Merritt, this hidden and often overlooked garden has surprises in store for beginning birders or those seeking to practice birding by ear in a place where it’s fairly easy to see who’s calling and singing.

The central area is a formal Florentine-style garden, but the surrounding slopes have mature scrub and woodland habitat. Some of the access involves stairways, with options for those who prefer level paths or gradual inclines.

And if the birds aren’t cooperating, there’s ample reward in stopping to smell the roses. With some rare heirloom varieties on display, this is considered one of the best public collections in the country and has been accredited as an All-American Rose Selection.

Marcom Rose Garden by Rick Lewis
Morcom Rose Garden by Rick Lewis
Hermit Thrush in Morcom Rose Garden by Rick Lewis

On land earmarked for open space in 1911, the garden was constructed in 1932 under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration and named for Oakland’s then-mayor Fred N. Morcom. The garden hosts an annual Earth Day cleanup event and the Oakland Mother of the Year ceremony and is a popular site for summer weddings and year-round personal training bootcamps. The Dedicated Deadheaders, a group of volunteers recognizable by their tie-dyed vests, spend two mornings each month helping the city’s park staff maintain the eight acres of rose beds.

Although parking is limited, the easiest access to the garden is from the south via Jean Street, just a block from bustling Grand Avenue. Past the colonnade, continue straight on a paved path among to the reflecting pool frequented by Mallards, or the cascading fountain that also serves as a fancy birdbath.

Entrance and colonnade at the Morcom Rose Garden by Rick Lewis
Cedar Waxwing in the Morcom Rose Garden by Rick Lewis

From here, head upslope on the east or west side of the amphitheater for better birding along one of the paved or dirt paths. Dominated by mature oaks, redwoods, and pines, the east side may provide a sighting of a Northern Flicker, a Cooper’s Hawk, or a Red-shouldered Hawk. Also keep an eye out for Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bewick’s Wren, Oak Titmouse, and warblers. More common, though, are California Towhee scratching in the leaf litter and fox squirrels scrambling for acorns. In the more exposed trees adjacent to Olive Avenue, look for Red-breasted Nuthatch and Brown Creeper.

On the west side paths, you might encounter flocks of White- and Golden-crowned Sparrows drawn to the seed scattered daily by a visitor. This can also be a good area for spotting Black Phoebe, Mourning Dove, those roving turkeys, and still more squirrels. Don’t neglect scanning for birds from the path that passes through blackberry bushes and grassier habitat beneath the large apartment building. After dark, a Great Horned Owl often calls from high in a conifer in this section of the park.

One of the resident Wild Turkeys at the Marcom Rose Garden / Photo by Blake Edgar
Bewick’s Wren in Morcom Rose Garden by Rick Lewis
The garden has many paths and benches / Photo by Rick Lewis

Corvid fans can expect to find Western Scrub-Jay, Steller’s Jay, and American Crow. Common Raven have nested near the top of the northeast stairway in recent years, and last spring a friend watched a raven flush a Cooper’s Hawk from its perch and chase it across the garden.

Along the Jean Street stairway that marks the garden’s southern edge, watch and listen for Anna’s Hummingbirds zipping between branch tips and nearby feeders. Both

Nuttall’s and Downy Woodpeckers can also be seen or heard here. According to a longtime resident of the area, California Quail and Spotted Towhee used to be seen frequently until underbrush was removed from the garden slopes.

Conveniently located between the more prominent birding sites of Lake Merritt and Mountain View Cemetary, Morcom Rose Garden is worth a visit.

White-throated Sparrow in the Morcom Rose Garden by Rick Lewis
When it’s a slow bird day, stop and smell the roses! Photo by Rick Lewis

Fast Facts

Location: Morcom Rose Garden, 700 Jean Street, Oakland

Hours/Fees: Garden hours are 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. daily. Admission is free.

Dogs: Not allowed.

Habitat: Landscaped garden flanked by mature Coast Live Oak, Monterey Pine, Coast Redwood, and other trees.

Key Birds:

Year-round: American Crow, Anna’s Hummingbird, Bewick’s Wren, California Towhee, Cooper’s Hawk, Oak Titmouse, Wild Turkey

Winter: Golden-crowned Sparrow, Lesser Goldfinch, Red-breasted Nuthatch

Ease of Access: The garden has five entrances, including a primary (and wheelchair accessible) entrance on Jean Street, and others on Chetwood Street and on Monte Vista, Olive, and Oakland Avenues.

Getting There: The garden can be reached by three AC Transit bus lines: 12 from Grand Avenue and 33 or P from Oakland Avenue. Free street parking is available near each of the entrances but is most ample on Oakland Avenue and Olive Avenue.

Nearby Services: A handicapped accessible restroom and a water fountain are located near the Jean Street entrance.

Nearby cafés/restaurants: Grand and Piedmont Avenues have numerous restaurants and cafés within walking distance or a short drive from the garden.

 For More information: friendsofoaklandrose.org


Blake Edgar is an avid naturalist and birder. An editor for U.C. Berkeley, Blake has written for Scientific American, Bay Nature, and other publications. 

PrevPreviousFour plovers of the Bay Area
NextBig, sunny Christmas Bird Count in OaklandNext
Facebook Instagram Youtube Twitter

Follow Golden Gate Birder by email

Click to follow our blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Subscribe

Loading...
A Day in the Life of a Climate-Friendly Birder
August 14, 2023
Lights out for Larry: The Burden of Brightness on Birds
August 8, 2023
Dotson Family Marsh− How We Got This Great Gift
July 27, 2023
How to Thrive as an SOB (Spouse of Birder)
June 28, 2023
The Berkeley-Stanford Birdathon
June 22, 2023
The Curious Case of Mama Kite
June 14, 2023
Birdathon 2023 Breaks Records
June 8, 2023
These Binoculars are Out of this World!
May 10, 2023
From the Sierras to the Mojave: A Search for the Yellow-Billed Cuckoo
May 3, 2023
The Golden Gate Gulls Go Birding
April 25, 2023

Our Mission

To inspire people to protect Bay Area birds and our shared natural environment.

Our Vision

A world where birds, wildlife, and all people flourish together.

Home page photo of a Bald Eagle by Rick Lewis. Home page photos rotate on an occasional basis. If you have a Bay Area bird photo you would like us to consider, email us at rnakano@goldengateaudubon.org.

Home page bird illustrations by Tex Buss. We are grateful for her generous donation of time and talent!

Facebook Instagram Youtube Twitter

Contact Us

Golden Gate Bird Alliance
2150 Allston Way Suite 210
Berkeley, California 94704

Phone: 510.843.2222

Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Golden Gate Bird Alliance is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Our federal tax ID number is 94-6086896

Join Our Email List

Sign up to receive our eGull newsletter and get updates on other Golden Gate Bird Alliance news and opportunities!

Subscribe
© 2023 Golden Gate Bird Alliance | All Rights Reserved
All photos on this site belong to the photographers and may not be used without written permission.
  • About Us
    • About Our Staff
    • About Our Board
    • Our Commitment to Diversity
    • GGAS StrategicPlan
    • GGAS in the News
    • Job Opportunities
  • Education
    • Speaker Series
      • Past Speakers
    • Classes
      • Rotary Nature Center
    • Eco-Ed for Kids
  • Volunteer
  • Conservation
    • Bird-Friendly Coffee Club
  • GGAS Archives
    • The Gull Archives
    • GGAS Press Releases
    • Travel with GGAS – Past Tours
    • Past Speakers
  • Bird With Us
    • Field Trips
    • Travel with GGAS
    • SF Bay Ospreys
    • Christmas Bird Counts
    • The Gull
    • Golden Gate Birder Blog
      • Birdathon 2021
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • Member Login
    • Trip Reports by Year
    • Contact Us
      • Join/Renew
      • Other Ways to Give
      • Planned Giving
    • Member Login
    • Volunteer Hours Reporting
    • Birding Resources
      • Conservation Info
  • Blog
  • Donate