MCAS Fall Shorebird Survey


The 2026 Annual Morro Bay Fall Shorebird Survey, sponsored by Morro Coast Audubon Society and Audubon California, is scheduled for Saturday, November 21st, from 9:00am to 11:00am (bad-weather fallback date is Sunday, December 13th, from 8:00am to 10:00am). These dates and times are chosen to optimize tide conditions for surveying. Please consider volunteering for this important annual effort. Your help will allow us to track the number of shorebirds using Morro Bay and contribute data on shorebird abundance throughout the Pacific Flyway. Shorebirds are an important bioindicators of the health of the bay and the Pacific Flyway.

Under the coordination of Point Blue Conservation Science, shorebird surveys were conducted in Morro Bay between April 1988 and August 1994. Using the same protocol, Audubon and Morro Bay National Estuary Program have continued the effort with surveys since 2003. Observers will be counting birds from land with spotting scopes, from kayaks or canoes on the water, from the Sandspit and Morro Strand, and from Morro Rock to the Rocky Point (Northpoint). Collecting these data will provide a view of the variability of shorebird numbers seasonally and annually, with the overall goal of tracking long-term trends. Data are entered into the Pacific Flyway Shorebird Survey database.

About 25 volunteers are needed, and first-time volunteers or beginner birders are welcome to this event (we will pair you with an expert!).

If you are interested in participating, please email ShorebirdSurvey@morrocoastaudubon.org.

Go to Point Blue Conservation Science for additional information.