Seabird Protection Network

Pigeon guillemots put their sharp pointy beaks and claws to good use like a handy multi-tool. They cling to vertical rock faces, crack open mollusks, claw out burrows under rocks on offshore islands, and scrape sand and soil to form a small bed for their eggs. (Photo: Peter Pearsall, USFWS)

Our favorite bird is back at it again! Wisdom, the world's oldest known bird is at least 69 years old, and has laid an egg too!

Gulls eat like it’s Thanksgiving every day of the year. They will eat just about anything. From gobbling live crabs , sea stars , and fish to opportunistic rodents , eggs , and even other birds, gulls snatch prey from air, water and land. They even unhinge their jaws to allow them to eat larger prey. (Photo: Peter Pearsall USFWS)

We're Seeking Kelp! Northern California has lost an astonishing 90% of its kelp forest in just a few short years due to climate and other impacts. This fall, our colleagues at the Greater Farallones Association are mapping the extent of remaining kelp forests to understand where recovery efforts should be focused. Pilots and boaters are in a unique position to help! Take photos of any kelp you see in October, and capture vital information from areas that are tough to reach fr...om land. Just follow these three simple tips: 1. Capture the full extent of the kelp bed, if possible. 2. Record the location's GPS coordinates. 3. Make sure to fly above 1000' AGL to avoid impacting coastal wildlife. Send any photos or questions to [email protected] and be part of this important work!

Got cold feet? You’ve got nothing on seabirds! Seabird feet can endure freezing temperatures due to some special adaptations. Their feet and legs are mostly tendons and bones, and don’t require the same amount of warmth as muscle. Also, their circulation system is organized in a special way where blood flow maximizes heat retention and minimizes energy use. (Photo: Peter Pearsall, USFWS)

Over 400 Pilots Joined Last Time, Find out why!

Happy Halloween! If you see this photo and think of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds? You’re not wrong! On a dark August night in 1961 thousands of sooty shearwaters besieged the small town of Capitola, slamming into roofs, cutting power lines, even biting a resident. Sound familiar? The Birds was released in 1963! The full story is more 'whodunit' than horror. Turns out, plankton guts were full of a toxic algae that causes deadly domoic acid poisoning and odd behavior in seabirds.

Beautiful imagery of the hidden grand canyon in our backyard! Upwelling of nutrient-rich water from deep in the canyon is one reason for the highly productive marine ecosystem of NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Tonight! Join us on a new kind of coastal tour of ten secret sights you can only see from the sky. We're partnering with the FAA Safety Team to bring you an aerial tour of history and wildlife and we bet you've never seen the coast like this before!

Have you ever seen so many birds?! Tens of thousands of sooty shearwaters were in a flying frenzy at Fort Funston this week. Greater Farallones Naturalist, P...eter Winch, captured the epic scene, noting not just the shearwaters, but humpback whales, brown pelicans, elegant terns, and Heermann's gulls! Sooty shearwaters are among the world's most impressive migrators. Each year, they travel from their breeding grounds in New Zealand all the way across the Pacific Ocean to feed off the coast of California, in NOAA's Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, where there is an abundance of fish for them to eat. ... That's a ~40,000 mile trip! ~~~ Did you know, it's rumored that a sooty shearwater migration event inspired Alfred Hitchcocks's infamous Birds movie?? According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, in August of 1961, thousands of migrating sooty shearwaters became disoriented after eating some "bad anchovies" and made their way to shore, many sadly dying or unable to fly. The chaos that ensued inspired Hitchcock to write the terrifying tale of murderous birds. ____ Photos: Peter Winch, GFA

Keep an eye out for the world's champion long-distance migrating seabirds: sooty shearwaters! In August and September, vast flocks of sooty shearwaters navigate an astonishing 40,000 miles to feast in our bountiful offshore waters every year. Here they are pictured near the wharf in Capitola. (Photo Credit: Jonathan Felis, USGS)

Calling all Pilots! Join us, a former NOAA research pilot and a PhD Geologist, as we take you on a new kind of coastal tour to unlock ten secret sights you can only see from the sky. We're partnering with the FAA Safety Team to bring you an aerial tour of history and wildlife spanning all the way from Mendocino to the Channel Islands. We'll also teach you ten easy to follow tips and tricks to keep you safe while you fly it. We bet you've never seen the coast like this before!

Sooty shearwater time!

Today is #swimmableCA day! In 2013, the California Legislature passed a resolution to officially commemorate July 25th as "Swimmable California Day," recognizing Californians' right to waters that are clean and safe for swimming. We sure are grateful our water is safe for swimming!

Did you know that some seabirds go to summer school? Black oystercatcher chicks fledge in July, but stay with their parents all summer learning life skills and hunting techniques like poking and pulling meaty chunks of mollusks from tidal areas. (Photo: Mikaela Howie, USFWS)

Did someone say bird nerd party?? Point Blue is hosting a live event this tomorrow (Friday July 24!) where you can see wild birds up close and science in action at Point Blue's Palomarin Field Station.

Pilots do their part to protect marine wildlife in NOAA's Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and Noaa's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Pilot Gretchen Kelly, manager of the Half Moon Bay Airport - San Mateo County Airports and San Carlos Airport - San Mateo County Airports, partners with the Seabird Protection Network to encourage pilots to adopt seabird safe flying practices. Through Gretchen’s leadership, Seabird Protection Network staff have had the oppor...tunity to brief pilots flying at air shows, and build community support among aviators for stewardship of the California coast. In the photo below, Gretchen takes the Seabird Protection Network Pledge that says, "I fly at or above 1,000 feet AGL (above ground level) for safety and wildlife. It’s a good practice!" To learn more about California seabirds and what Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is doing to help seabirds thrive, visit http://farallones.noaa.gov/eco/seabird/ (Photo: Seabird Protection Network)