Coastal dunes and beach communities face a dynamic, harsh environment that requires plants to have unique survival mechanisms. Prostrate shrubs with creeping stems and long fleshy taproots play an important role in maintaining dune structure by stabilizing the sand. This creates perfect roosting habitat for wintering shorebirds. It also provides nesting habitat for endangered birds such as the Western Snowy Plover and the Streaked Horned Lark, as well as shelter for other coastal species.
Invasive species have taken their toll on these communities, as has climate change. European beach grass, for example, outcompetes native plants and leads to fundamental changes to dunes, degrading nesting habitat for birds. Coastal erosion has been exacerbated by the increasing frequency and intensity of storms resulting from climate change.
Other Habitats Our Birds Need
Coastal Dunes and Beaches
Coastal dunes and beach communities face a dynamic, harsh environment that requires plants to have unique survival mechanisms.
Conifer Forest
Conifer forests, including our magnificent temperate rainforests, dominate the Pacific Northwest from California to southeast Alaska.
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.
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.
Hawaiian Wetlands
Hawaii’s freshwater wetlands support the Ae’o, or Hawaiian Stilt, and five other species of endemic, endangered waterbirds.
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.
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.
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.
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.