Cali live oaks are in the red oak category. One way to distinguish red from white oaks is the leaves. Red oak leaves will be 'prickly' at the lobes of the leaf, white oaks will be smooth.
"The barefoot test" -- walk barefoot over a pile of oak leaves, if you say "ouch" it is red oak. :-D
"The barefoot test" -- walk barefoot over a pile of oak leaves, if you say "ouch" it is red oak. :-D