Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve: Monitoring waterbirds

The purpose of this monitoring is to track migratory and resident
shorebirds, waders, and waterfowl using the tidal wetlands of Elkhorn
Slough in central California, USA. While this modest program will
not be sufficient to detect subtle alterations, we will be able to detect
dramatic changes. By comparing our results to those from other wetlands
along the coast, we can determine whether the changes are due to local
factors affecting only the Slough (loss of foraging areas due to tidal
scour, elimination of prey due to oil spill, etc.) or regional processes
affecting the whole coast (breeding failure, El Niño effects on prey
recruitment, etc.). Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research
Reserve teams have been counting waterbirds since 2003 to the present
(2025 at current data submission).