The beach is home to a wide variety of bird species. The types of birds you are likely to see depend on several factors, including the location of the beach, the time of year, and the habitat found along the shoreline. In this article, we will explore some of the most common shorebirds and seabirds found along beaches in North America.
Shorebirds
Shorebirds are birds that live along the shore and are specially adapted to the dynamic beach environment. Their long legs, long bills, and webbed feet make them excellent at probing wet sand and mud to find food. Here are some shorebirds you may encounter on a beach walk:
Sanderlings
One of the most common shorebirds on beaches is the sanderling. These small, energetic birds run up and down the beach chasing waves. Their dark gray and white plumage camouflages them against the sandy beach. Sanderlings use their long, slender bills to pick small invertebrates out of the wet sand as the waves recede.
Sandpipers
Sandpipers come in a variety of sizes, but they all share a thin build, long legs, a long neck, and a long tapered bill. Some sandpiper species you may see along sandy beaches include semipalmated sandpipers, least sandpipers, western sandpipers, and dunlins. These birds probe into mud and sand looking for worms, crustaceans, and other small invertebrates.
Plovers
Plovers are plump-bodied shorebirds with short bills and legs. They are camouflaged in white, brown, and gray plumage. You can find different species scurrying along the surf, including black-bellied plovers, semipalmated plovers, piping plovers, and killdeer. Plovers feed on marine worms, small mollusks, crustaceans, and insects.
Oystercatchers
The flashy black and white American oystercatcher probes beached shells with its long, knife-like bill looking for bivalves and other prey. You can often see flocks of them gathered at the water’s edge.
Seabirds
In addition to shorebirds, you are likely to encounter seabirds along the beach and offshore. These birds spend most of their lives at sea, coming to coastal areas to nest and feed.
Seagulls
Perhaps the most familiar beach bird is the seagull. Species such as herring gulls, ring-billed gulls, and laughing gulls are coastal generalists found along beaches, in parking lots, and at dumps. These noisy and opportunistic birds patrol the beaches looking for scraps and handouts from people.
Terns
Terns are graceful seabirds that plunge-dive to catch small fish in shallow waters along the shore. They have angular wings, forked tails, and sharp orange bills. Common terns and Forster’s terns are frequently seen along beaches.
Brown pelicans
Brown pelicans are large coastal birds that fly in V-formations just offshore. They can often be seen gliding above waves then suddenly nose-diving straight down to catch fish in their stretchy throat pouches. Pelicans like to rest on sandy spits and jetties.
Cormorants
You may also see large black cormorants perching on rocks along the shoreline, spreading their wings to dry after diving for fish. Double-crested cormorants and great cormorants frequent rocky coasts.
Gulls
Gulls are medium to large birds typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have harsh wailing or squawking calls and are noisy and omnivorous, their broad diet ranging from invertebrates and fish to carrion and refuse.
Some common gull species found on beaches include:
- Herring Gull – Common coastal gull with grey back, white head and underparts. Yellow bill with red spot.
- Ring-billed Gull – Smaller gull with grey mantle, white head and underparts. Yellow bill with black ring.
- Laughing Gull – Black hood in summer, more black in wings. Grey mantle and white underparts.
- Franklin’s Gull – Grey mantle, black head, white underparts. Red bill with black tip.
- Bonaparte’s Gull – Small delicate gull with grey mantle and hood, white wedge up the back of neck. Red bill.
Terns
Terns are slender, graceful seabirds related to gulls but generally smaller with longer, more angular wings. They plunge dive for fish and are agile fliers. Some terns seen along beaches:
- Common Tern – Medium tern with grey back, white underparts, forked tail. Orange red bill.
- Forster’s Tern – Large tern with grey back, white underparts, forked tail. Orange red bill.
- Royal Tern – Large white tern with black cap and orange-yellow bill. Deeply forked tail.
- Sandwich Tern – Large tern with black cap, yellow-tipped black bill. Grey upperwings.
- Least Tern – Small tern with white forehead, grey and white body. Yellow bill with black tip.
Skimmers
Skimmers have unique bills with the lower mandible longer than the upper. They fly low over the water with the lower bill submerged, snapping shut when they contact prey. Look for the black and white Black Skimmer cruising offshore.
Cormorants
Cormorants are large diving waterbirds with hooked bills, short legs set far back on the body, andANDREW R78 3GS SOUTHE sex to phone tower RD COWFR TK475 74A WILTSHIRECO-92 3LL 1W070 KEYCHR 163 7427 SURREY ANDER 12D AJ17 8GP SURREY ANDER 7EB KE42 3PQ DEVON ANDRE 17A SS98 1TJ SUS some species have crests. Seen perching on rocks or pilings with wings spread to dry.
- Double-crested Cormorant – Black with orange-yellow face. Shaggy crest appears double when raised.
- Great Cormorant – All black with orange-yellow face. No crest.
Loons
Loons are diving birds that spend most of their lives on the water, only coming onshore to nest. They are awkward on land but agile swimmers and divers.
- Common Loon – Checkered black-and-white back. Heavy spear-shaped bill.
- Red-throated Loon – Red throat patch in breeding plumage. More slender bill.
Grebes
Grebes are small diving birds with lobed toes and narrow, pointed bills. Look for them diving and surfacing smoothly on the water.
- Horned Grebe – Small grebe with yellow “horns” on face in breeding plumage.
- Pied-billed Grebe – Thick chicken-like bill with black band. Dumpy body.
- Red-necked Grebe – Long neck and bill, rusty red at base of neck in summer.
Shearwaters and Petrels
Shearwaters and petrels are pelagic seabirds that nest on islands and only come to mainland coasts during migration. They have long, narrow wings for dynamic soaring.
- Sooty Shearwater – All dark with long, thin bill. Flaps on stiff wings.
- Wilson’s Storm-Petrel – Small with black body, white rump, long wings and tail.
Other Birds to Look For
In addition to shorebirds and seabirds, keep an eye out for these other species that frequent beach environments:
- Piping Plover – Small pale sand-colored plover with black bands. Nest on beaches.
- Willet – Large mottled brown and grey shorebird with long legs and long straight bill.
- Ruddy Turnstone – Stocky bird mottled black, brown and white. Flips over stones looking for prey.
- American Oystercatcher – Conspicuous black and white shorebird with a long, bright red-orange bill.
- Black Skimmer – Uniquely shaped black and white bird with a knife-like lower mandible.
- Brown Pelican – Large coastal bird that plunges dives for fish and has a throat pouch.
When to See Beach Birds
The best time to observe birds on the beach depends on factors like location, season, weather, and tide cycles.
Some general tips for spotting shorebirds and seabirds:
- Early morning and early evening are often most active.
- Moving tides concentrate birds along the water’s edge.
- Spring and fall migrations bring the greatest numbers and diversity.
- Nesting season in summer sees fewer birds but more territorial behavior.
- Winter brings migratory flocks as northern birds move south.
- Storms can ground migrating seabirds along the shore.
Pay attention to ebb and flow patterns at your beach. Revealing mudflats provide rich feeding opportunities for many birds. Incoming and outgoing tides shift concentrations of prey like sand crabs and marine worms, attracting different birds to feed.
Where to Look for Beach Birds
Scan all areas of beach habitat for birds:
- Along the surf line and in the swash zone, where shorebirds feed as waves wash in and out.
- On tidal flats and sand bars exposed at low tide.
- Along the high tide line and the wrack line with seaweed and debris.
- Near the dunes and on grassy areas behind the beach.
- Along rock jetties and piers which attract congregations of roosting birds.
- In marshy areas, salt ponds, lagoons, and estuaries near the beach.
- Offshore – look for feeding flocks, terns diving, and pelicans soaring.
Identifying Beach Birds
Here are some tips for identifying birds on the beach:
- Get a good field guide or download a bird ID app to your phone and study profiles of common beach species.
- Scan with binoculars – details like bill shape, leg length, plumage and behavior help ID birds.
- Note key characteristics like size, shape, colors, flight style, voice.
- Look for field marks like wing bars, head patterns, tail shape, leg color.
- Pay attention to behavior – feeding, roosting, nesting, interactions.
- Compare unknown birds with those you have already identified to narrow it down.
- Take photos of unfamiliar birds for later study and identification.
- Record location, date, time and distinctive behaviors to aid ID.
Threats Facing Beach Birds
Many shorebirds and seabirds that rely on beach habitats face multiple threats to their survival, both on their breeding and wintering grounds. Some major threats include:
- Habitat loss due to human development, erosion, sea level rise.
- Disturbance of nesting and feeding areas by beachgoers, vehicles, pets.
- Pollution – oil spills, marine debris, chemical contamination.
- Overharvesting of fish stocks.
- Invasive species predation – cats, foxes, rats.
- Extreme weather events like hurricanes.
Many species now have special protected beach habitats, restricted buffer zones, and educational programs to help protect beach birds. Respecting signs, leash laws, and closed areas can help birds conserve energy for migration and nesting.
Conclusion
A walk along the beach can reveal a lively array of birdlife, from tiny sandpipers chased by waves to pelicans soaring offshore. Paying attention to habits, habitats, time of year, and field marks will help identify the diversity of shorebirds and seabirds using these coastal environments. Protecting fragile beach ecosystems will be crucial for conserving populations of many remarkable beach birds into the future.