Birding with my six-year-old son along the mudflats of Bodega Bay Harbor, we paused to watch a flock of Western Sandpipers probing the shoreline. We were lucky—these were likely some of the last spring migrants passing through on their journey to the Northern Slopes of Alaska for the breeding season! As a cool (okay, maybe cold) ocean breeze swept over us, I couldn’t help but wonder if these same birds had recently passed through the Salton Sea, where we conducted shorebird surveys earlier this season.
I told my son about their incredible migration—how these tiny birds travel thousands of miles each year, from wintering grounds as far south as Peru to breeding grounds in the Arctic. I mentioned that some of these same birds may also be using the newly emerging wetlands we have been studying and documenting at the Salton Sea, a place he knows well from my frequent work trips. He’s seen the maps, charts, and data that help us understand their journey and the critical role the Sea (and other regions) play. But seeing one of these tiny travelers up close brought our team’s work to life in a way that even the most beautifully designed graphs and charts, whether printed on the finest glossy paper or displayed on a brightly glowing screen, can’t quite convey.
Watching birds with my son reminded me of my childhood, visiting this same stretch of coast with my dad. He sparked my love for nature during those early adventures, pointing out birds and encouraging me to turn my attention to the beach wrack, to notice the difference between bull kelp and eelgrass. Now, decades later, I’m gently trying to pass along that same curiosity to my son. I know it’s a lot to ask of a small-bodied sandpiper, but I hope these moments of shorebird joy inspire him into the future.
Applying Science to Protect the Places Birds and People Depend On
Audubon has been monitoring bird populations and habitat conditions at the Salton Sea for nearly 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 better understand how birds are responding to the changing landscape. These findings guide our management recommendations and support the State of California and federal agencies in making restoration and conservation decisions, like the exciting project we celebrated in May, which benefits birds, other wildlife, and the people who live around the Sea.
Shorebirds are among the most at-risk bird groups in North America, according to the 2025 State of the Birds report. This makes wetland restoration at the Salton Sea especially significant. But protecting shorebirds and reversing population declines requires a far-reaching, coordinated effort across the entire Pacific Flyway—a migration route stretching from Alaska to South America that connects a chain of vital habitats.
In stark contrast to the cool coastal breeze of that spring morning, watching shorebirds in Bodega Bay, I’m now in the desert to witness a major milestone: the flooding of a large section of the State of California’s Species Habitat Conservation Area at the southern end of the Salton Sea. These newly created bird habitats, part of the project we’re celebrating, will support a variety of species, including the shorebirds my son and I observed during our recent trip.
While fish-eating birds like the American White Pelican and Double-crested Cormorant have become less common in recent years, shorebirds, especially Western Sandpipers, are using the Salton Sea in growing numbers. As water levels recede, new wetlands are forming on the exposed lakebed. In California, up to 90 percent of historic wetlands have been lost due to development and water diversion, making these emerging wetlands a vital refuge for shorebirds, marsh birds, waterfowl, and other wildlife. They also offer important public health benefits by filtering agricultural runoff and reducing dust.
We know what happens at the Sea carries potential impacts across the hemisphere. The same Western Sandpipers that rest and refuel at the Salton Sea also rely on coastal estuaries, the Central Valley, the Great Basin, the Klamath Basin, the Great Salt Lake, and beyond. Each of these places plays a crucial role in their survival.
With habitats continuing to disappear throughout the West and globally, the Salton Sea will be managed into the future due to water scarcity and its critical habitat value. The changes unfolding at the Sea highlight the urgent and ongoing need for partnership and community action across regions and sectors to build a better future for birds and people. Birds (and their incredible journeys) show us how connected we truly are. Explore our latest findings and discover how you can help protect critical habitats for birds and communities all across the flyway.
