Colonial waterbird program
  • Program Overview
  • Science
  • Protocol
  • Stage guides
  • Data Entry
  • Request Data
    • Annual Summary Data
    • Colony Summary Data
    • Gull and Tern Nest Stage Data
    • Heron, Egret, and Cormorant Nest Stage Data
  • Q&A
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The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory has monitored colonial waterbirds since 1982. Beginning in early February and continuing through early August, we track numbers of breeding herons, egrets, terns, gulls and other birds that nest in colonies around the Bay Area. These numbers add to a database that extends for over 30 years, allowing us to document population trends. We also monitor the timing of nesting and evidence of disturbance and predation.

Information on colony sizes allows us to document population trends, inform resource management decisions, and contribute to other projects including the "Annotated Atlas and Implications for the Conservation of Heron and Egret Nesting Colonies in the San Francisco Bay Area", a collaboration between SFBBO and Audubon Canyon Ranch.
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Project Partners:
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Audubon Canyon Ranch


Project Funding:
San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory Membership
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Photo credits: Tom Grey

Volunteers of the Colonial Waterbird Program must be volunteers of SFBBO and attend a training about field protocols. 
Before the training, you should fill out a Volunteer Application and discuss the program with SFBBO's Outreach Coordinator. After the being assigned as a volunteer, you should attend a virtual or in-person training session. Contact SFBBO's Outreach Coordinator for details.
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For questions about volunteering for this program, please visit the ​
SFBBO website or contact SFBBO's Outreach Coordinator, Kristin Butler (kbutler@sfbbo.org).
Proceed to training
Website last updated January 27, 2020
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  • Program Overview
  • Science
  • Protocol
  • Stage guides
  • Data Entry
  • Request Data
    • Annual Summary Data
    • Colony Summary Data
    • Gull and Tern Nest Stage Data
    • Heron, Egret, and Cormorant Nest Stage Data
  • Q&A