The Pacific Flyway is a major north-south
flyway for
migratory birds
Bird migration is a seasonal movement of birds between breeding and wintering grounds that occurs twice a year. It is typically from north to south or from south to north. Migration is inherently risky, due to predation and mortality.
The ...
in the Americas, extending from
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
to
Patagonia
Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...
. Every year, migratory birds travel some or all of this distance both in spring and in fall, following food sources, heading to breeding grounds, or travelling to
overwintering
Overwintering is the process by which some organisms pass through or wait out the winter season, or pass through that period of the year when "winter" conditions (cold or sub-zero temperatures, ice, snow, limited food supplies) make normal activ ...
sites.
Any given bird species travels roughly the same route every year, at almost the same time.
Ornithologist
Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...
s and
birdwatchers
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescop ...
can often predict to the day when a particular species will show up in their area.
Notable locations
Along the Pacific Flyway, there are many key rest stops where birds of many species gather, sometimes in the millions, to feed and regain their strength before continuing. Some species may remain in these rest stops for the entire season, but most stay a few days before moving on.
*
Boundary Bay, British Columbia, has been listed as an
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
by the Canadian government in recognition of its value to migratory birds.
*
Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, in southwest Washington, is a major staging area for shorebirds.
*
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, in
Harney County, southeastern Oregon
*
Alaksen National Wildlife Area, on
Westham Island off
Richmond, British Columbia
Richmond is a city in the coastal Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Mainly a suburban city, it occupies almost the entirety of Lulu Island (excluding Queensborough, New Westminster, Queensborough), between the two estuarine dis ...
*
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area in the
Yolo Bypass in the
Central Valley of California.
*
Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges Complex consists of several different wildlife refuges on the border of Oregon and California.
* The
Summer Lake Wildlife Area, located on northwestern edge of the
Great Basin
The Great Basin () is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets to the ocean, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja Californi ...
drainage in south-central
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
*
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex
The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex is part of the United States system of National Wildlife Refuges (NWR). It is located in northern California, in the valley of the Sacramento River.
The Sacramento NWR Complex was created in an a ...
consists of several wildlife refuges in the northern Central Valley of California.
*
San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex
The San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex is located in the northern San Joaquin Valley, within Merced County, California, Merced County and Stanislaus County, California, Stanislaus County of California. The complex, with four federal Natio ...
consists of several wildlife refuges in the San Joaquin Valley of California.
*
Suisun Marsh
Located in northern California, the Suisun Marsh ( ) has been referred to as the largest brackish water marsh on west coast of the United States of America. The marsh land is part of a tidal estuary, and subject to tidal ebb and flood. The marsh ...
, next to the exit of the
inverted Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta
The Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, or California Delta, is an expansive inland river delta and estuary in Central California and Northern California
Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal) is a geocultural region that ...
, has protected portions.
*
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay (Chochenyo language, Chochenyo: 'ommu) is a large tidal estuary in the United States, U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the cities of San Francisco, California, San ...
, protected estuaries and mountain open space preserves.
*
Coyote Valley, southern
Santa Clara Valley
The Santa Clara Valley (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Valle de Santa Clara'') is a geologic trough in Northern California that extends south–southeast from San Francisco to Hollister, California, Hollister. The longitudinal valley is bordered ...
, in
Northern California
Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal) is a geocultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, spanning the northernmost 48 of the state's List of counties in California, 58 counties. Northern Ca ...
*
Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere and the eighth-largest terminal lake in the world. It lies in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah and has a substantial impact upon the local climate, partic ...
, Utah, a
Great Basin
The Great Basin () is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets to the ocean, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja Californi ...
hub of the flyway
*
Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California, south of the San Francisco Bay Area. San Francisco itself is further north along the coast, by about 75 miles (120 km), accessible via California S ...
, protected estuaries and mountain open space preserves
*
Ballona Wetlands between the Los Angeles neighborhoods of
Playa del Rey and
Marina del Rey, and the adjacent city-owned lagoons
*
Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge, a coastal salt marsh located within
Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach in Orange County, California
*
Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, a coastal wetlands located in
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, United States. The city was originally called Pacific City, but it was changed in 1903 to be named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 as of ...
*
Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve and Ecological Reserve in Newport Beach, Southern California
*
Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is a shallow, landlocked, highly salinity, saline endorheic lake in Riverside County, California, Riverside and Imperial County, California, Imperial counties in Southern California. It lies on the San Andreas Fault within the S ...
, an inland
Colorado Desert
The Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert located in California, United States, and Baja California, Mexico. It encompasses approximately , including the heavily irrigated Coachella, Imperial and Mexicali valleys. It is home to ...
saline
endorheic lake
An endorheic lake (also called a sink lake or terminal lake) is a collection of water within an endorheic basin, or sink, with no evident outlet. Endorheic lakes are generally Saline water, saline as a result of being unable to get rid of solutes ...
in Southern California, hosts many birds and has surrounding wildlife refuges.
*
San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port in San Diego County, California, near the Mexico–United States border. The bay, which is long and wide, is the third largest of the three large, protected natural bays on California's of ...
, which includes several areas designated as part of the
San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex
*
Guerrero Negro Baja California Sur
bird sanctuary
An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and to be protected for the rest of their lives. In addition, sanctuaries are an experimental staging ground for transformative human–animal relations. There are five types of ...
half way of the peninsula of Baja California Mexico
*
San Jose Estuary San Jose del Cabo Baja California Sur, Mexico bird sanctuary and birding Los Cabos
*
Palo Verde National Park, Guanacaste province, Costa Rica. The estuary in this park is located at the mouth of the Tempisque River, the second largest basin in the country. Major migratory visits: March to May, at the start of the rainy season.
See also
*
List of Klamath Basin birds
*
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
*
Ornithology in the United States
*
National Wildlife Refuges of the United States
References
Further reading
* {{cite book , last = Wilson , first = Robert M., title = Seeking Refuge: Birds and Landscapes of the Pacific Flyway , publisher = University of Washington Press , location = Seattle , year = 2010 , isbn = 978-0-295-99211-2
External links
''Pacific Americas Flyway'' Factsheetfrom
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...
Important Bird Areas of Canada
Bird migration flyways