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Birds

Showing 1–8 of 870 results

Mew Gull

Latin:  Larus canus

Illustration for Mew Gull

McCown's Longspur

Latin:  Rhynchophanes mccownii

Illustration for McCown's Longspur

Black-capped Vireo

Latin:  Vireo atricapilla

Illustration for Black-capped Vireo
Bird Drawing Classes
Bird Drawing Classes

Learn to draw birds!

Audubon has partnered with naturalists and artists Fiona Gillogly and John Muir Laws to bring you a series of virtual bird drawing classes.

Casey Arndt

Casey Arndt

Center Director

Haymar Lim

Haymar Lim

Community Engagement Coordinator

Creature Feature May 2020: Western Snowy Plover

Western Snowy Plover Photo: Mike Baird
Western Snowy Plover Photo: Mike Baird

Every year on the third Friday of May, the nation celebrates Endangered Species Day.  This day is an opportunity to learn about the importance of protecting threatened and endangered species and their habitats.  Here in the California Bay Area, a lucky birder has the chance to see the threatened Western Snowy Plover- a subspecies of the Snowy Plover found along the Pacific coast from Washington to Baja California.  The population distinguishes itself by nesting adjacent to tidal waters of the Pacific Ocean where other Snowy Plovers nest further inland and migrate to coastal areas during winter months.  This small shorebird is about 6 inches long with a short neck and moderately long, dark legs. A thin, dark bill is used to catch tiny crustaceans, mollusks, and marine worms along the shore.  This plover has a pale brown back and head with a white belly, chest, neck stripe, forehead, and eyebrow line.  Breeding adults have dark patches on the shoulders, behind the eyes, and above the white patch on the forehead.  In sparsely vegetated areas above the high tide line, females will lay 3 eggs in a shallow depression in the sand after which they share incubation duties with males.  As soon as her eggs hatch, a female leaves to renest with another male if possible.  Just hours after hatching, chicks are up and out of the nest searching for food! Males will care for their chicks by leading them to feeding areas rather than bringing them food directly.  Catching a glimpse of a Western Snowy Plover can be difficult, especially when human activities such as walking, jogging, off leash pets, horseback riding, and vehicle use on beaches, particularly during the nesting season (March – September), are key factors in the plover’s decline.  Click here to learn more about Western Snowy Plover and what you can do to help its recovery!

Posted by Paige Fernandez on May 13, 2020
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    News September 7, 2023

    Hidden in Plain Sight: Refineries in the Bay Area

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    Salmon in Marin: Recent Struggles of a Keystone Species

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    News September 8, 2023

    The Secret of Pollution and Emissions: How We Unknowingly Harm Our Atmosphere Every Day

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    News September 8, 2023

    Humanity’s Complicated Relationship with the Animal Kingdom

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    Creature Feature: Red Knot
    Conservation June 21, 2023

    Creature Feature: Red Knot

    A highlight of the first-ever species detected by our Motus Wildlife Tracking system.

    A Sanctuary for Birds and People
    News June 21, 2023

    A Sanctuary for Birds and People

    Read our Community Conservation Fellow's reflection on her capstone project and time at Richardson Bay Center & Sanctuary.

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