From Bodega Bay to the Salton Sea—A Shorebird’s Journey Across the Pacific Flyway

Birding with my six-year-old son alongside the mudflats of Bodega Bay Harbor, we paused to look at a flock of Western Sandpipers probing the shoreline. We had been fortunate—these had been seemingly among the final spring migrants passing by on their journey to the Northern Slopes of Alaska for the breeding season!  As a cool (okay, possibly chilly) ocean breeze swept over us, I couldn’t assist however marvel if these identical birds had lately handed by the Salton Sea, the place we carried out shorebird surveys earlier this season.

I instructed my son about their unimaginable migration—how these tiny birds journey hundreds of miles annually, from wintering grounds as far south as Peru to breeding grounds within the Arctic. I discussed that a few of these identical birds might also be utilizing the newly rising wetlands we’ve got been finding out and documenting on the Salton Sea, a spot he is aware of properly from my frequent work journeys. He’s seen the maps, charts, and information that assist us perceive their journey and the vital position the Sea (and different areas) play. However seeing considered one of these tiny vacationers up shut introduced our workforce’s work to life in a means that even probably the most superbly designed graphs and charts, whether or not printed on the best shiny paper or displayed on a brightly glowing display screen, can’t fairly convey.

Watching birds with my son jogged my memory of my childhood, visiting this identical stretch of coast with my dad. He sparked my love for nature throughout these early adventures, declaring birds and inspiring me to show my consideration to the seashore wrack, to note the distinction between bull kelp and eelgrass. Now, a long time later, I’m gently attempting to go alongside that very same curiosity to my son. I do know it’s so much to ask of a small-bodied sandpiper, however I hope these moments of shorebird pleasure encourage him into the long run.    

Making use of Science to Shield the Locations Birds and Individuals Rely On

Audubon has been monitoring hen populations and habitat circumstances on the Salton Sea for practically a decade. Our new Science Brief, Shifting Habitat Conditions at the Salton Sea Create New Opportunities for Conservation (June 2025),  synthesizes seven years of surveys and sampling to raised perceive how birds are responding to the altering panorama. These findings information our administration suggestions and help the State of California and federal businesses in making restoration and conservation selections, like the exciting project we celebrated in May, which advantages birds, different wildlife, and the individuals who stay across the Sea.

Shorebirds are among the many most at-risk hen teams in North America, in accordance with the 2025 State of the Birds report. This makes wetland restoration on the Salton Sea particularly important. However defending shorebirds and reversing inhabitants declines requires a far-reaching, coordinated effort throughout your entire Pacific Flyway—a migration route stretching from Alaska to South America that connects a sequence of important habitats.

In stark distinction to the cool coastal breeze of that spring morning, watching shorebirds in Bodega Bay, I’m now within the desert to witness a significant milestone: the flooding of a giant part of the State of California’s Species Habitat Conservation Space on the southern finish of the Salton Sea. These newly created hen habitats, a part of the undertaking we’re celebrating, will help a wide range of species, together with the shorebirds my son and I noticed throughout our current journey.

Whereas fish-eating birds just like the American White Pelican and Double-crested Cormorant have turn out to be much less widespread in recent times, shorebirds, particularly Western Sandpipers, are utilizing the Salton Sea in rising numbers. As water ranges recede, new wetlands are forming on the uncovered lakebed. In California, as much as 90 p.c of historic wetlands have been misplaced resulting from growth and water diversion, making these rising wetlands a significant refuge for shorebirds, marsh birds, waterfowl, and different wildlife. Additionally they supply vital public well being advantages by filtering agricultural runoff and lowering mud.

We all know what occurs on the Sea carries potential impacts throughout the hemisphere. The identical Western Sandpipers that relaxation and refuel on the Salton Sea additionally depend on coastal estuaries, the Central Valley, the Nice Basin, the Klamath Basin, the Nice Salt Lake, and past. Every of those locations performs an important position of their survival. 

With habitats persevering with to vanish all through the West and globally, the Salton Sea shall be managed into the long run resulting from water shortage and its vital habitat worth. The modifications unfolding on the Sea spotlight the pressing and ongoing want for partnership and neighborhood motion throughout areas and sectors to construct a greater future for birds and folks. Birds (and their unimaginable journeys) present us how linked we really are. Explore our latest findings and discover how you can help protect critical habitats for birds and communities all across the flyway.