Celebrating Top 4 Wetlands for Birds

Happy World Wetlands Day!

 

Mission Bay | Central Valley | SF Bay | Salton Sea

Happy World Wetlands Day Dear KAREN, Water is the foundation of life. On World Wetlands Day, we celebrate California's embattled wetland ecosystems which provide rich ecological services, including habitat, flood protection, and pollution filtration. Wetlands are precious resources for tens of millions of migratory birds during dry, arid journeys. Check out a selection of locations where Audubon's work touches the ground and birds flock to these watery wonderlands.  Andrea Jones Director of Bird Conservation Audubon California

Greater Yellowlegs. Photo: Brad James/Audubon Photography Awards

California Least Terns in Mission Bay Mission Bay is home to 144 bird species and 56 plant species, including threatened and endangered species such as the Western Snowy Plover, Ridgway's Rail, Belding's Savannah Sparrow, and California Least Tern. Learn about San Diego Audubon Society's work to ReWild this wetland at the upcoming "Love Your Wetlands Day" on Saturday, February 4, at Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve in Mission Bay. Enjoy guided kayak clean-ups of the marsh, birding, presentations from local scientists, cultural activities with Indigenous leaders, fish seining, native seed planting, and remarks from Mayor Todd Gloria! Read more

Least Terns. Photo: Robert Blanchard/Audubon Photography Awards

Wood Ducks in the Central Valley Waterfowl like Wood Ducks flock to Central Valley wetlands. These wetlands, along with flooded agricultural fields, support 60 percent of California's migratory birds. This region used to be a vast mosaic of wetlands that supported a diversity of wildlife. Sadly, 90 percent of wetlands in the Central Valley have been lost to agriculture and development. Flooded agricultural rice fields have played an important role in providing surrogate habitat in the absence of natural wetlands. If we can sustainably steward our groundwater, wetlands can support millions of migratory birds and improve water quality in the Central Valley. Read more

Wood Duck. Photo: Sharon Wada/Audubon Photography Awards

Ridgway's Rails in SF Bay Ridgway's Rail is an endangered bird species that forages in the wetlands of San Francisco Bay. These salt marshes and tidal wetlands are internationally recognized for their powerful role in conserving biological diversity. The Richardson Bay Audubon Sanctuary is also a unique eelgrass-herring ecosystem that supports tens of thousands of waterbirds that feast on herring eggs. Within San Pablo Bay, Audubon California's team partnered with San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge to revive 400 acres of wetland habitat to benefit birds such as the Ridgway's Rails, Black Rails, migratory waterbirds, and marsh songbirds.   Read more

Ridgway's Rail. Photo: Rick Lewis/Audubon Photography Awards

Black-necked Stilts at the Salton Sea Waterbirds like Black-necked Stilts, Western Sandpipers, Dowitchers, and Snowy Egrets are flocking to emergent wetlands around the Salton Sea, including near the community of Bombay Beach at the Salton Sea. Audubon California launched a project at the Bombay Beach Wetland to stabilize, enhance, and expand native emergent freshwater and saline wetland habitat on the exposed Salton Sea playa. This project will also help control dust on adjacent playa areas and provide access to green spaces for park-poor local communities.  Read more

Black-necked Stilts. Photo: Peter Brannon/Audubon Photography Awards

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