![Habitat_Estuary-Barry-Troutman Habitat: Estuary](http://www.pacificbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Habitat_Estuary-Barry-Troutman.jpg)
Estuaries occur where freshwater rivers meet the salt waters of the ocean. They are one of most biologically rich habitats on Earth, thanks to the mixing of nutrients from both the land and sea.
Where conditions are challenging for plant growth, estuaries are made up of non-vegetated mud or sand flats that are full of invertebrates. Millions of migrating and wintering shorebirds, such as Dunlin and Western Sandpiper, rely on these mudflats. In other estuarine zones, plants thrive to create the tidal salt and brackish marshes that are both foraging and nesting areas for birds. Eelgrass beds are highly productive forage and nursery areas for Brant and other waterfowl and waterbirds.
Other Habitats Our Birds Need
![Habitat_Coastal-Dunes-BLM Coastal Dunes, ©Bureau of Land Management](https://pacificbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/Habitat_Coastal-Dunes-BLM-768x1024-square-10cfcc9ed407f741392c64def07985f8-.jpg)
Coastal Dunes and Beaches
Coastal dunes and beach communities face a dynamic, harsh environment that requires plants to have unique survival mechanisms.
![Habitat_Conifer-Forest-David-Patte-USFWS Habitat: Conifer Forest](https://pacificbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/Habitat_Conifer-Forest-David-Patte-USFWS-square-926fff8f1200b0ac39bbde9aead8a690-.jpg)
Conifer Forest
Conifer forests, including our magnificent temperate rainforests, dominate the Pacific Northwest from California to southeast Alaska.
![Habitat_Estuary-Barry-Troutman Habitat: Estuary](https://pacificbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/Habitat_Estuary-Barry-Troutman-square-bcc2e9a085a585796ee900e5a34c61e6-.jpg)
Estuaries
Estuaries occur where freshwater rivers meet the salt waters of the ocean. They are one of most biologically rich habitats on Earth, thanks to the mixing of nutrients from both the land and sea.
![Habitat_Freshwater-Wetlands-George-Gentry-USFWS Habitat: Freshwater Wetlands](https://pacificbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/Habitat_Freshwater-Wetlands-George-Gentry-USFWS-square-f689ef21deebb099e49911091e6d4bf1-.jpg)
Freshwater Wetlands
Freshwater wetlands are the hallmark of the Pacific Americas Flyway. Wetlands are subject to periodic flooding and are further characterized by their soil type, hydrology and vegetation.
![Habitat_Hawaii-coastal-wetlands-Kris-Fister Habitat: Hawaii coastal wetland](https://pacificbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/Habitat_Hawaii-coastal-wetlands-Kris-Fister-square-b44923f38d92b89a4d5872982e0189a7-.jpg)
Hawaiian Wetlands
Hawaii’s freshwater wetlands support the Ae’o, or Hawaiian Stilt, and five other species of endemic, endangered waterbirds.
![Habitat_Intertidal-Rocy-Shoreline-wikipedia Habitat: Intertidal Rocky Shoreline](https://pacificbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/Habitat_Intertidal-Rocy-Shoreline-wikipedia-square-6713662306121f2abf07d84e5ff4cd8c-.jpg)
Intertidal Rocky Shorelines
Rocky shorelines along the North Pacific coastline occupy the region between high and low tide. They may be rocky cliffs, boulder rubble, wave-pounded shelves, or sheltered rocky shores.
![Habitat_Oak-and-Prairie-George-Gentry-USFWS Habitat: Oak and Prairie](https://pacificbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/Habitat_Oak-and-Prairie-George-Gentry-USFWS-square-cdfa0e18907300cbc31457cb4320fb62-.jpg)
Oak and Prairie
Oak and prairie ecosystems support a unique suite of specialized birds. They are home to a handful of imperiled species such as Streaked Horned Lark and Oregon Vesper Sparrow.
![Habitat_Pacific-Atolls-Photo-Erik-Olberg,-Island-Conservation Habitat: Pacific Atolls](https://pacificbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/Habitat_Pacific-Atolls-Photo-Erik-Olberg-Island-Conservation-square-f647261ea6e8caa0376346df8ad19fe2-.jpg)
Pacific Atolls
An atoll is a coral reef island, or islets. They are are characteristically ring-shaped with a central lagoon, and sometimes a central island.
![Laysan Albatorss Credit Andy Collns, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Laysan AlbatrossAndy Collins, NOAA](https://pacificbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/Laysan-Albatorss-Credit-Andy-Collins-NOAA-Office-of-National-Marine-Sanctuaries.-1024x742-square-5a1c783f0ea826e2b4fa717b6b4f7a10-.jpg)
Pelagic
Pelagic habitats, one of many habitats in the marine environment, include the open ocean. Birds that spend time in the pelagic zone must be able to withstand the salt water, wind and waves–and some do for years at a time.