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The flat, often soggy ground of the Sacramento Valley is the stomping ground of myriad birds. Some stay year-round. Others use the land as a temporary resting point and refueling spot for long journeys across continents. While the majority of the historical wetland habitat that once covered much of the Sacramento Valley is gone, birds make do by feeding in the relative puddles that remain. Shorebirds are the long-distance champions of the bird world, with some migrating halfway around the earth for an annual ritual of feeding, flight and reproduction. At the Delevan Wildlife Refuge near Maxwell this month, some of the area's visiting shorebirds scraped through the mud, feeding in shallow water to gain strength for the remainder of their journey. Even with eyes closed, the presence of shorebirds is noticed. The distinct chirp of the killdeer mixes with the flute-like call of the yellowlegs. Somehow the sounds of shorebirds simply sound like the sea. The Sacramento Valley was recently recognized as a bird destination of international importance by the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences in Massachusetts. A celebration of the designation is being held by wildlife groups and the California Rice Commission today in Woodland. Paul Buttner, environmental affairs manager for the Rice Commission, said he's pleased with the designation and recognition of the role the rice industry plays in providing habitat for shorebirds. About 500,000 acres of rice in California is a significant amount of habitat for birds because only 5 percent of the state's native wetlands remain. Other groups, such as duck clubs and wildlife agencies, also make the Sacramento Valley a distinct area for the survival of the birds. Although one might not consider the rice fields of the Central Valley "the shore," the inland agricultural area has become an important stopover point for shorebirds that migrate from South America to their icy nesting grounds in Canada and Alaska. Buttner marveled at the endurance of the birds, some of which fly almost halfway around the earth each year and might fly 70 hours before stopping. The red knot is one of the champion long-distance fliers. By age 13, it has been estimated that the bird has traveled enough distance to have made it to the moon and back. About 15 types of shorebirds can be found over the year in the Central Valley. Ten types could be spotted this week, including black-necked stilt, American avocet, long-billed dowitcher, Western sandpiper, least sandpiper, greater yellowlegs, killdeer, semipalmated plovers, Wilson's phalarope, red-necked phalaropes and long-billed curlews. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Mike Wolder explained that the birds are attracted to shallow, aquatic habitats, and sometimes upland habitat. "They're exploiting the mud flat with up to 8 inches of water," depending on the species. The animals are adapted to the environment and often have long, pointed bills and long, spindly legs. Under the new designation by Manomet, the Sacramento Valley will now be considered under the Western Hemispheric Shorebird Network, which has a conservation plan for shorebird habitat in the United States. This helps with conservation initiatives, Wolder explained, and "gives more clout to the conservation of the area." There is also a worldwide network that focuses attention on the international destinations of the birds. Right now, when rice is growing, the birds stay primarily on the wetlands, such as the heavily managed land at Delevan. In the spring, shorebirds will breed in the fields when rice is just planted and before the plants rise up out of the flooded fields. As the young birds take to wing, the birds are looking for more shallow water, with less vegetation, Wolder explained. That's when they find the wetlands in the refuges. Once rice is harvested in the fall, rice fields are flooded for rice straw decomposition and hunting clubs apply water to the ground, creating "another chunk of attractive shorebird habitat," Wolder said. Two-thirds of the total wetlands in the state are privately owned, explained Craig Isola, refuge operations specialist. While hunters do take birds, that's only for a few months during hunting season and usually just on the weekends, Isola explained. |
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