The wetlands in the Point St. Pedro Road community are home to an extremely wide range of birds, both seasonal migratory and year-round. Some migratory birds stop by for a short period to rest and feed before continuing on, while others settle in and nest, moving on only when their young have grown enough to be independent and/or move on with them. In the winter 2019, the Beach Drive Wetland was the scene of much excitement as birders from far and wide came to see a Little Blue Heron that visited. Rarely seen in California, it generated a lot of interest in our area’s birdlife.
Below are pictures of a variety of our local birds, categorized by general type, that one might be likely to see around the wetlands. Select the bird’s name for more information, including when they are most likely to be seen in this area. For even more details, use the link to go to that bird’s page on the National Audubon website. You can also download the Audubon Bird Guide App for identifying birds when you’re out walking around. It’s free!
In late September 2020, the Wetlands Committee hosted a public webinar on the Vaux’s Swift Migration in Marin County narrated by Rich Cimino of the Audubon Society. If you missed that webinar or want to see it again, we recorded it and you can view it here!
Long-legged Waders
Great Blue Heron
The largest heron in North America. Very adaptable. Feeds in the water by waiting for fish and striking. but also forages on the shore and in grasslands. In addition to fish, will eat turtles, snakes, rodents, birds; even gophers. Nests in isolated colonies of its own kind. Seen year round.
Great Egret
Almost wiped out for its plumes in the late 1800s but has made a comeback. Stately wader in still waters where it waits patiently for fish, darting quickly to catch them. Will also eat toads, snakes, occasionally even small birds. Nests high in trees. Seen year round.
Green Heron
Mostly solitary, living in vegetation around small bodies of water. Stalks and strikes its food, sometimes using sticks or feathers to lure it. Eats mostly fish, but also crustaceans, small snakes, grasshoppers. Nests in pairs or small groups, not colonies. Seen year round.
Snowy Egret
Graceful, small egret with yellow feet. Favors coastal wetlands and breeds in colonies. Varied diet of fish, snails, frogs, lizards. May stir sediment to startle prey. Seen year round.
Sandpiper-like Birds
American Avocet
Lives in shallow waters or mudflats on the coast or interior. Forages by sweeping head from side to side with its bill barely submerged. Also picks food from water or the air. Eats insects, crustaceans, seeds. Nests in loose colonies, often with Black-necked Stilts. Seen year round.
Black-necked Stilt
Lives in grassy areas at the edges of mudflats or pools, fresh or saline. Picks food from the surface of water, sometimes beneath, or grabs flying insects. Eats insects and crustaceans. Nests in loose colonies, sometimes among Avocets on bare open ground near water. Seen year round.
Black Oystercatcher
Lives on rocky shorelines or small islands with abundant shellfish. Eats mostly mussels, limpets and other shellfish. It either cuts the muscle when the shellfish is open, or smashes the shell on rocks. Almost always nests on islands. Nests in pairs and may mate for life. Seen year round.
Black Turnstone
Strictly coastal. Rocky shores, breakwaters, islets. Eats barnacles, mollusks, insects. Turns over rocks, shells and seaweed to look for food. Will pry open barnacles and mollusks or smash them on rocks. Often returns to nest in the same location with the same mate yearly. Breeds in Alaska.
Killdeer
Fields, mudflats, lawns, airports, shores. Runs a few steps, stops, pecks when it finds food. Eats mostly a variety of insects. Nests in a shallow scrape on bare ground or in short grass with good visibility. Common year round.
Least Sandpiper
Smallest of the sandpiper family, the size of a sparrow. Found on edges of marshes, rivers, mudflats, avoids open beaches. Little flocks fly into an area. Forages mostly, picking from the ground. Eats insects and small crustaceans. Nests on the ground near water’s edge. Common in winter.
Whimbrel
Shores, mudflats, marshes, tundra. Variety of habitats during migration. Walks on mudflats picking food from the surface or probing bill into mud. Eats crustaceans, insects and berries. Hunted to very low numbers in the 19th century but has recovered. Nests in the Arctic. Common in winter.
Willet
Eats crustaceans, insects and plants. Looks plain but has a very distinctive call in flight. Nests in colonies on the ground or in grass. Common in winter.
Duck-like Birds
American Wigeon
Marshes, lakes, bays, fields. Versatile forager, it can feed on land, from the surface of shallow water or by submerging head and neck. Eats mostly plants, land and aquatic, and some insects and snails. Nests in pairs on dry land or islands. Common in winter.
Brown Pelican
Mostly along coastal shallow waters, especially in sheltered bays. Eats almost entirely fish. Will dive from 60’ straight into the water. Strains water from bill. Can become tame around people when fed. Nests on islands, either bare or rocky or with trees. Common year round.
Bufflehead
A diver and one of the smallest ducks. Forages mostly underwater, rarely only submerges head. All birds in a small flock may dive at once. Eats mollusks, insects, plants. Nests in cavities. Common in winter.
Clark’s Grebe
Found in rushy lakes – bays and the ocean in the winter. Very similar to the Western Grebe, but is a distinct species. Forages by diving under water and swimming. Eats mostly fish. Breeds in colonies, and the young climb onto parent’s back within minutes of hatching. Common in winter.
Northern Shoveler
Marshes, ponds and salt bays in the winter. Strains food from the water with its spatula-like bill. Seeds, aquatic plants, insects, some mollusks. Mates in pairs building nests in short grass by the water. Common in winter.
Pied-billed Grebe
Ponds, lakes, marshes. Most widespread Grebe in the New World. Forages by diving under water. Eats fish, small aquatic creatures. Also eats feathers and feeds them to its young, like most Grebes. Almost never in flocks, mostly seen singly. Nests in marshes. Common year round.
Chicken-like Marsh Birds
American Coot
Adaptable waterbirds, found swimming but also at home on golf courses and city ponds. Usually in flocks and very noisy. Versatile forager, dabs at water surface, upends or dives. Also grazes on land and steals food from ducks. Makes floating nests in tall marsh vegetation. Common year round.
Ridgway’s Rail
Patchy distribution in salt marshes. Forages in shallow water or mud, especially at low tide, picking at the ground or probing mud or water. Eats crustaceans, insects and fish. Nest finely woven near edge of high tide or the bank above. Rare year round.
Swallow-like Birds
Barn Swallow
Common in rural areas and semi-open country. Captures insects in flight. Eats a wide variety of insects. Originally nested in caves or shallow crevices. Today almost always builds nests in man-made structures like eaves of buildings, bridges and docks. Common year round.
Vaux’s Swift
Spends most of its time in the air. Forages in rapid flight. Captures insects in flight. Usually nests in large conifers and rarely in chimneys. However, they nest yearly in the unused chimneys at San Rafael’s McNear Brickyard. Uncommon year round.
See the recording of the Wetlands Committee Webinar on Vaux’s Swift Migration in Marin.
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