appendix b final 2008 biological surveys of los angeles and long ...

9.0 Birds
were observed in open-water habitats of Long Beach Harbor. The two observed on December
28 were in Zones 21 and 23; individuals observed on January 10 and February 16 were in Zone
23. Black Scoters are rare winter visitors to nearshore waters of Los Angeles County (Garrett et
al. 2006). They usually occur in mixed flocks with the more common Surf Scoter.
Six Brant (= Black Brant in MEC 2002) were observed on February 15, 2008, on open water in
the outer Long Beach Harbor (Zone 10). Brant, a species of goose, is a common migrant
offshore in Los Angeles County, but only occasionally observed foraging and resting in harbors
and estuaries (Garrett et al. 2006).
A Common Murre was observed on October 10, 2008, foraging in open water in the Pier J Basin
of Long Beach Harbor (Zone 21). This species breeds along the Arctic and subarctic coasts
south to central California and south to southern California when sea temperatures are cold
(Ainley et al. 2002). This species is an irregular offshore visitor along the coast in Los Angeles
County (Garrett et al. 2006). It was not observed during 2000–2001 surveys (MEC 2002).
One Cattle Egret was observed on October 10, 2008, on riprap in Zone 12 of outer Long Beach
Harbor. The Cattle Egret is an uncommon migrant and wintering species in Los Angeles
County. They typically occur in agricultural areas and are rare along the coast (Garrett et al.
2006).
One Merlin was observed on December 28, 2007, resting on riprap in Zone 13 of outer Long
Beach Harbor. Merlin are uncommon winter visitors (Garrett et al. 2006). When sighted, they
tend to be along the coastline and in harbors and estuaries, where they hunt small shorebirds.
Parasitic Jaegers (single individuals) were recorded on six occasions, in December 2007, and in
January, April, October, and November 2008. Four of the six sightings were in the outer Long
Beach Harbor (Zone 11) and most were on open water; one was an aerial sighting. In southern
California, this species is relatively common offshore (Garrett et al. 2006). One individual was
observed during the 2000–2001 baseline study (MEC 2002).
Two Thayer’s Gulls were observed on January 10, 2008, and November 7, 2008, resting on
riprap in Zone 15 and in open water in Zone 23, respectively. This species is very uncommon
along the Los Angeles County coast in winter (Garrett et al. 2006) and is typically found among
large flocks of gulls along the coast, within harbors, and estuaries. It is very difficult to identify
from similar-appearing, more common gull species.
Several other species were relatively uncommon at the Ports, but may be common elsewhere in
Los Angeles County. These included a few water-associated species (Blue-winged Teal,
Green-winged Teal, Red-necked Phalarope) and several upland birds (Bullock’s Oriole,
Eurasian Collared-Dove, Great-tailed Grackle, Turkey Vulture, and Western Meadowlark). The
teal species are both much more common at freshwater lakes and reservoirs, and the phalarope
is common offshore, but occasional in bays and estuaries (Garrett et al. 2006). The upland
birds are all relatively common elsewhere in the county, but given the lack of habitat they are
unusual at the Ports.
9.5 HABITAT UTILIZATION
Previous studies have demonstrated that bird use generally is higher in zones with greater
diversity of habitat types (HEP 1979, MEC 2002). However, bird densities may be greater in
certain areas where birds congregate such as along the breakwater, Cabrillo Beach, and Fish
Harbor (MEC 2002). With the exception of the 2000–2001 study, bird densities have not been
reported in historical studies. For these reasons, bird abundance (count data) and species
numbers are summarized in this section according to survey zones and habitats.
9–8 2008 Biological Surveys of Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors
April 2010