Wildlife & Habitat
Shallow open waters, salt marsh, mudflats, sandy beaches, sea grass beds and sheltered channels form the complex tapestry of habitats characteristic of estuaries, where rivers meet and mingle with the sea. Though protected from the full force of the ocean’s pounding waves and buffeting winds, estuarine plants and animals must deal with the rigors of exposure, submersion, and fluctuation in salinity with each tidal cycle.
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Shorebirds
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Waterfowl
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Songbirds
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Birds of Prey
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Mammals
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Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish
Page Photo Credits – Red-necked Phalarope - ©Mark Peck, Bufflehead - ©Tim Harding, Chestnut-backed Chickadee - Peter Pearsall/USFWS, American Kestrel - ©Jack Wolf, American Mink - George Gentry/USFWS, Pacific Chorus Frog - Teal Waterstrat/USFWS
Last Updated: Aug 18, 2015