Birds of Bolsa Chica
Bolsa Chica is renowned for its birding (bird watching) opportunities. This is because thousands of birds use the open space at Bolsa Chica as their home for all or part of the year.

(c) USFWS

The Pacific Flyway
A "flyway" is the term for the flight paths of migrating birds. Birds migrate, or travel, north to south (or south to north) at certain times during the year for food, nesting, or climate needs.  Across the United States there are four (4) flyway corridors.  From east to west they are: Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific (roughly corresponding to the four time zones of eastern, central, mountain and pacific). The Bolsa Chica is one stop along the Pacific Flyway.

For some species, such as terns and ducks, Bolsa Chica is one end of the journey.  Terns fly into Bolsa Chica by the hundreds in the late spring and stay for the summer nesting season before returning to their winter homes in South America. In contrast,ducks fly south to Bolsa Chica for the winter season and stay through March before returning to Canada and Alaska. Some birds stay at Bolsa Chica for just a few weeks or days, a rest stop along a greater journey. Other birds call Bolsa Chica their home 365 days of the year.

Over 200 species of birds have been spotted at Bolsa Chica; here is just a small sample of some you might see on any given day: