San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory

THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY USES SCIENCE TO CONSERVE BIRDS AND HABITATS. OUR AVIAN MONITORING AND HABITAT RESTORATION ACTIVITIES PROVIDE CRITICAL DATA THAT WE USE TO EDUCATE LAND MANAGERS AND THE PUBLIC, AND CONTRIBUTE TO INFORMED CONSERVATION DECISIONS.

OUR SCIENCE PROGRAM IS COMPRISED OF THE SNOWY PLOVER AND LEAST TERN PROGRAM, WATERBIRD PROGRAM AND LANDBIRD PROGRAMS. THE SNOWY PLOVER AND LEAST TERN RECOVERY PROGRAM WORKS TOWARD THE RECOVERY OF THE FEDERALLY THREATENED WESTERN SNOWY PLOVER AND ENDANGERED CALIFORNIA LEAST TERN. BIOLOGISTS MONITOR BREEDING SNOWY PLOVERS AND LEAST TERNS BY SURVEYING FORMER SALT PONDS, STORMWATER RETENTION PONDS, AND OTHER SUITABLE HABITAT OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY WHERE THE BIRDS BREED. PROGRAM BIOLOGISTS WORK CLOSELY WITH LOCAL LAND MANAGERS AND RESTORATION PROJECTS TO IMPLEMENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO HELP INCREASE THE SNOWY PLOVER AND LEAST TERN POPULATION IN THE BAY. THE WATERBIRD MONITORING PROGRAM COLLECTS CRUCIAL DATA ON THE POPULATION ECOLOGY OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA WATERBIRDS. PROGRAM BIOLOGISTS, ALONG WITH APPROXIMATELY 70 VOLUNTEERS, MONITOR BREEDING WATERBIRD COLONIES, COLLECT DATA ON WATERBIRD DISTRIBUTION, AND DOCUMENT DISEASE OUTBREAKS. THESE DATA ARE ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE IN TRACKING TRENDS IN OUR LOCAL BIRD POPULATIONS AND HELPING TO GUIDE WETLAND RESTORATION IN THE BAY AREA. AT OUR RESEARCH STATION, THE COYOTE CREEK FIELD STATION, OUR LANDBIRD PROGRAM USES THE SCIENCE OF BIRD BANDING TO TRACK AVIAN RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE, AND DOCUMENT LONG-TERM CONSERVATION PROJECTS IN COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL AND FEDERAL AGENCIES.

THE HABITATS PROGRAM IS A SCIENCE-BASED RESTORATION PROGRAM FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABLE RESTORATION OF TIDAL MARSH-UPLAND TRANSITION ZONE HABITATS. IN 2021, WE CONTINUED RESTORING 9.5 ADDITIONAL ACRES OF UPLAND HABITAT, WHILE MANAGING 22 ACRES. PLANNING COMMENCED FOR A RESTORATION PROJECT AT EDEN LANDING ECOLOGICAL RESERVE ALONG OLD ALAMEDA CREEK, WITH WORK SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN 2022. HABITAT RESTORATION BENEFITS ENDANGERED TIDAL MARSH BIRDS AND MAMMALS THAT RELY ON THESE HABITATS AS HIGH-TIDE REFUGIA. ECOLOGISTS USE SCIENCE TO FIND INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR RESTORATION, AND WORK WITH LAND MANAGERS TO INTEGRATE TIDAL MARSH-UPLAND TRANSITION ZONE METHODS INTO LARGER RESTORATION PROJECTS.

OUR OUTREACH PROGRAM CONNECTS PEOPLE WITH OUR MISSION TO ACHIEVE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF AVIAN CONSERVATION AND SCIENCE IN THEIR COMMUNITY. WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN REGION WIDE EFFORTS TO COMPILE LONG TERM DATASETS TO GUIDE RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION PLANNING EFFORTS. AS IN 2020, DUE TO COVID, WE REDUCED OUR IN PERSON OUTREACH EVENTS AND INSTEAD CREATED AN ONLINE SERIES OF WORKSHOPS AND SPEAKERS TO TEACH CHILDREN AND ADULTS ABOUT INTERESTING SCIENTIFIC PROJECTS AND LOCAL WILDLIFE. WE ALSO OFFERED OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO BE INVOLVED IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH BY PARTICIPATING AS CITIZEN SCIENTISTS IN OUR SCIENTIFIC AND HABITAT PROGRAMS.