Blog: Shorebirds and wetlands may be winners at the Salton Sea, new Audubon Calif. report finds
A new science brief published today by Audubon California shows that a number of factors have surprisingly resulted in an increase in wetland habitat, and that an increasing number of shorebirds are taking advantage of the changes—driving a growth rate of 15 percent per year in waterbirds overall. This new development comes as the Sea continues to witness the shrinkage of deep-water habitats and fish-eating bird populations. This finding and others are drawn from seven years of Audubon’s bird surveys and habitat assessments at the Salton Sea. … The science brief, which summarizes a more comprehensive scientific study currently under peer review in a scientific journal, points to significant shifts in habitats, food availability, and bird populations. Newly formed vegetated wetlands, for example, increased from 5,944 acres in 2019 to 7,312 acres in 2022, or by 23 percent.
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