Coastal Program

Seabirds and shorebirds need our help

Royal Terns on the beach. Photo: Nick Chill

California’s coastline is 3,427 miles long, including tidal areas so important to our state’s shorebirds. It is the most heavily populated part of the state, with approximately 68% of Californians living on the coast. It therefore should not be a surprise that California’s seas and beaches are under dramatic threat from human activity, development, and climate change. Marine food resources for many California seabirds and shorebirds are also threatened by shipping, pollution, overfishing, and a host of other factors, such as ocean acidification. California’s waters, beaches, estuaries, and other habitats are vital to many of the seabirds and shorebirds that migrate along the Flyway each year, and Audubon’s conservation efforts not only improve those habitats in California, but complement similar efforts by other Audubon organizations in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, as well as partner organizations in Mexico and points further south.

Coastal Resiliency
Coastal Resiliency

Coastal Resiliency

Audubon is advancing nature-based strategies to help coastline communities weather the impacts of climate change.

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Eelgrass
Eelgrass

Eelgrass

This beautiful plant provides dozens of ecosystem services and provides essential habitat for coastal birds.

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San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay

Audubon California is committed to protecting the birds and habitat of the San Francisco Bay.

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Building Anew Along the Shores of San Diego County
Coastal Resiliency

Building Anew Along the Shores of San Diego County

Local chapters, universities, Indigenous groups, and Audubon California collaborate to revitalize a shoreline that has long been left to the depredations of industrial action.

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Western Snowy Plover

Western Snowy Plover

The Western Snowy Plover is a sparrow-sized shorebird that breeds and winters on sandy beaches from Washington to Baja California, Mexico.

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Seabirds and Marine
Seas & Shores

Seabirds and Marine

Protecting birds and habitats in one of the Earth’s most productive marine regions: California Current Ecosystem, stretching from British Columbia through Baja Mexico.

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Grebe Conservation Project
Seas & Shores

Grebe Conservation Project

Audubon California in 2010 launched an ambitious project to protect breeding Western and Clark’s Grebes at four lakes in Northern California.

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Birds we help

Snowy Plover

Latin:  Charadrius nivosus

Illustration for Snowy Plover

Brown Pelican

Latin:  Pelecanus occidentalis

Illustration for Brown Pelican

Ashy Storm-Petrel

Latin:  Hydrobates homochroa

Illustration for Ashy Storm-Petrel

Long-billed Curlew

Latin:  Numenius americanus

Illustration for Long-billed Curlew

Least Tern

Latin:  Sternula antillarum

Illustration for Least Tern

Laysan Albatross

Latin:  Phoebastria immutabilis

Illustration for Laysan Albatross

Double-crested Cormorant

Latin:  Nannopterum auritum

Illustration for Double-crested Cormorant

Brant

Latin:  Branta bernicla

Illustration for Brant

How you can help, right now