Birding here takes place in the campground itself and along the trail that starts there and goes east.

See Figueroa Mountain Area group description below. This hotspot differs from many of the others by being at slightly lower elevation, and having a different flora. The canyon is dominated by an interesting mix of oak, cottonwood, and conifers, and the slopes are mostly chaparral. As such, do not expect most of the montane species seen at sites like East Pinery. (There is, however, one record of Mountain Chickadee.) This hotspot has not been birded much, but some birds recorded here include Common Poorwill, Mountain Quail, Western Screech-Owl, and Northern Pygmy-Owl. Wintering birds include Red-breasted Sapsucker, Hermit Thrush, and Fox Sparrow.

Day-use parking comes with a $10 fee.

This hotspot group includes 15 hotspots in the vicinity of Figueroa Mountain, all of which are within a 30-or-so-minute drive from one another; several can be birded in the same morning.

Many of these hotspots are dominated by pine forest, sometimes mixed in with oaks. Some shady north slopes grade from pine forest into bigcone Douglas-fir. On Figueroa Mountain proper these habitats include Catway Rd. on the north slope; Pino Alto Picnic Area near the summit; Figueroa Mtn. summit; and Pino Alto Rd. going up to the summit. Similar pine-dominated habitat is also found on and near Ranger Peak, including the Ranger Peak hotspot itself and East Pinery. 

Many of the region's montane species are regularly found here, including Mountain Chickadee, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pygmy Nuthatch, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Brown Creeper, Townsend's Solitaire. Less frequently recorded species include Williamson's Sapsucker, Red-naped Sapsucker, White-headed Woodpecker, Red Crossbill, and Cassin's Finch. Casual visitors include Clark's Nutcracker, Evening Grosbeak, and Green-tailed Towhee.

Figueroa Mountain and its environs form one of only a handful of areas with high-altitude pine forests in Santa Barbara County, the others being San Rafael Mountain, Big Pine Mountain, and Madulce Peak.

The pine forest habitat has been diminished by forest fires over the last two decades, and some species have been extirpated as breeders. As such, while eBird bar charts show some of these species occurring year-round, these days, most of them are only seen in winter.

At slightly lower altitudes, the pine forest is replaced by mixed oak woodlands that also include manzanitas and a variety of other evergreen species. Creeks flowing through the woodland and down the north slope of the mountains feature perennial summer flows and shady canopies of sycamore and bigleaf maple. Hotspots with this habitat include Figueroa Mtn. Campground; Davy Brown Trail; NIRA Campground and Manzana Creek east of Lower Manzana Trailhead; Davy Brown Campground; Munch Canyon between East Pinery and Davy Brown campground; and Willow Spring Trail.

These areas, often bordered by grasslands or chaparral, are home to breeding songbirds like Olive-sided Flycatcher, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Western Wood-Pewee, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Cassin's Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Western Tanager (formerly?), and Black-headed Grosbeak. Some of these also breed in the higher-altitude pine forest.

The Figueroa Mountain area is also worth checking during spring and fall migration when it sometimes attracts many migrating passerines. For example, Hammond's and Willow Flycatchers, as well as Hermit Warblers, have been seen here in spring.

Several species of owl occur in this area and can be found in various habitats. This includes Western Screech-Owl, Great Horned Owl, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, and Spotted Owl.

Other species that can be found here are Mountain Quail, Common Poorwill (sometimes flushed from the road at night), Golden Eagle, Steller's Jay, Violet-green Swallow, Varied Thrush, Pacific Wren, and Lawrence's Goldfinch. Hermit Thrush and Fox Sparrow are common in winter.

A trail starts at the campground and runs for a long distance east. One section ends at Fish Camp and has an entry at alltrails.