Instructions:
1. Observe and identify as many birds as you can at Bolsa Chica wetlands, take your time and pay
attention. It will take practice, patience, and sometimes a little luck to get good observations. Be
sure to make observations of the:
 Inner Bay (including both sides of bridge and at end near tide gate),
 Outer bay near tide gate
 full tide basin and rabbit island area
 Time allowing observe the Bolsa Pocket.
2. Make notes on what habitat each type of bird is using is using/feeding in, and how they are
feeding. There is space next to each common bird for you to make notes. There are descriptions of
feeding types in this packet for your reference.
3. Note the location you saw specific types of birds on the map of bolsa chica.
4. Fill out the habitat profile by labeling the different habitat types below the profile diagram and
then indicate what zone/habitat specific types of birds were found feeding in. A list of habitat types
is also included in this packet.
5. Using your observations and notes on the map and habitat profile answer the following questions.
A. Briefly, explain what a salt marsh/estuary is.
B. Briefly explain why there is so much diversity (both habitats and species) is a salt marsh?
C. Briefly explain why productivity is so high.
D. Using your observations and notes (from the profile and map) describe resource partitioning
at Bolsa Chica Wetlands and how it allows so many birds to coexist in the same general area.
You discussion should include the all of the species you observed and specific examples of
different species using different areas (habitats) and/or feeding techniques.
DUE FRIDAY DECEMBER 11TH—25 points
COMMON BIRDS OF BOLSA CHICA WETLANDS
Bird
American Avocet
American Kestral
American Wigeon
KIte
Brandt
Teal (3 types)
Brown Pelican
Bufflehead
Canvasback
Common Goldeneye
Coot
Double creasted Cormorant
Dowitcher (long and short
billed)
Dunlin
Eared Grebe
tern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Gull (various types)
House Finch
Least Sandpiper
Lesser Scaup
Long Billed Curlew
Mallard
Marbled Godwit
Notes
Night Heron
Northern Harrier
Northern Pintail
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Saunderling
Snowy Egret
Surf Scoters
Turkey Vulture
Western Grebe
Western Sandpiper
White Pelican
Willet
Wimbrel
Yellowlegs (greater and lesser)
Canada Goose
Northern Shoveler
Redhead
KIlldeer
Plover
Sandpiper (western & least)
Dunlin
Saunderling
Savannah sparrow
Black phoebe
dowitcher
Redwinged blackbird
FEEDING TYPES (incomplete list, make your own category if nothing fits what you see)

Arial divers: Dive into water after prey from the air.

Surface divers: Dive under water from the water’s surface (where they float and swim).

Dabblers: Stay at the surface of the water, but duck their head and neck to reach food below the
waters surface (when dabbling their rump/butt sticks up from water’s surface).

Wadders: Wade into shallow water or sit at shore’s edge to feed.

Probers: Probe—stick bill—into the substrate (e.g., mud, sand, etc…) searching for food.

Skimming: skims surface of water with bill/beak for food

Strainers: strain food out of mouthful of material

On the wing: picking food/prey items out of mid air

Gleaning: picking food items off a surface (ground or plant surface)
TYPE OF FOOD:
 Herbivores: Feed on plant and algae

Carnivores: Feed on animals (e.g., fish, mulluscs, worms, various other invertebrates).

Omnivores: feed on both plant/algae and animals
HABITAT TYPES:
 Subtidal (Permanent water/channels):
o

areas of perment water, substrate never exposed. May be salt of fresh water
Intertidal zone:
o
Areas that are covered by high tides and exposed by low tide: note the magnitude of a tide
changes daily and seasonally.

Mudflats/tidal flats lower intertidal zone with no plants growing

Lower mash: indicated by Cord grass, some regular inundation by tides

Upper marsh: indicated by pickleweed only higher/est tides inundate this are

Transition: not covered by tides by influenced by salinity

Upland: not covered by tides, minimal salinity influence
o
Coastal Sagescrub
o
Trees
you of different species use different habitats and the different feeding techniques and any
characteristic of the birds that correspond to that feeding technique or location. As part explanation
Pick 4-6 birds your observed and research there feeding at: http://www.audubon.org/field-guide
(use the search feature) and/or https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/search/ and incorporate that
information into your summary.