Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Wildlife Sanctuary · United States

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Photo © Oleg Alexandrov

Photo © Oleg Alexandrov — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

Where the San Francisco Bay's shallow margins dissolve into tidal salt marshes and mudflats, this wildlife sanctuary preserves one of California's most ecologically vital estuarine systems. Brackish channels wind through expanses of cordgrass and pickleweed, their dense root networks stabilizing sediments while creating a labyrinth of feeding grounds and nesting habitat. The Mediterranean climate here means summers arrive dry and warm, drawing down water levels and concentrating the rich invertebrate populations that fuel the entire food web. Migratory waders probe the exposed flats during low tide, while waterfowl and herons hunt in the deeper pools and channels year-round. Raptors circle overhead, scanning for small mammals and other prey across the open landscape. Despite its urban setting within the Bay Area, this sanctuary remains a working estuary where ecological processes—tidal flushing, sediment deposition, seasonal water-level fluctuations—continue to shape the habitat as they have for millennia.

For the traveling naturalist, this refuge offers unparalleled opportunities to witness the pulse of an estuarine ecosystem across seasons. Spring and autumn bring waves of migratory species, transforming the marshes into a dynamic arena of ecological activity. The light here is exceptional: early morning and late afternoon illuminate the water channels in golden tones that render both the landscape and its wildlife with stunning clarity. A network of trails and observation platforms grants intimate access without disturbing sensitive breeding colonies, while the refuge's proximity to Fremont makes it accessible for day visits or extended stays. Photographers will find endless compositions of water, marsh vegetation, and abundant wildlife, while patient birdwatchers can accumulate impressive species lists simply by walking the levees. Even in the drier months of midsummer, when water becomes scarce across much of the surrounding region, the bay's tidal influence ensures the refuge remains a haven for wildlife—and a window into how California's coastal ecosystems functioned before development reshaped the landscape.

Website fws.gov/refuge/don_edwards_san_francisco_bay

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Aquila chrysaetos

Branta canadensis

Spatula cyanoptera

Blue-winged Teal

Spatula discors

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

Mareca strepera

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

American Wigeon

Mareca americana

Anas platyrhynchos

Northern Pintail

Aythya valisineria

Aythya americana

Ring-necked Duck

Aythya collaris

Melanitta perspicillata

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalis

Bucephala albeola

Common Goldeneye

Bucephala clangula

Barrow's Goldeneye

Bucephala islandica

Hooded Merganser

Lophodytes cucullatus

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

Oxyura jamaicensis

Anna's Hummingbird

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Zenaida macroura

Rallus obsoletus

Rallus limicola

Porzana carolina

Common Gallinule

Gallinula galeata

Fulica americana

Pied-billed Grebe

Podilymbus podiceps

Podiceps auritus

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Aechmophorus occidentalis

Aechmophorus clarkii

Black Oystercatcher

Haematopus bachmani

Black-necked Stilt

Himantopus mexicanus

American Avocet

Recurvirostra americana

Pluvialis squatarola

Pacific Golden Plover

Pluvialis fulva

Charadrius vociferus

Semipalmated Plover

Charadrius semipalmatus

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Numenius hudsonicus

Long-billed Curlew

Numenius americanus

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponica

Long-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus scolopaceus

Short-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus griseus

Gallinago delicata

Wilson's Phalarope

Phalaropus tricolor

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatus

Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularius

Lesser Yellowlegs

Tringa flavipes

Tringa semipalmata

Greater Yellowlegs

Tringa melanoleuca

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Calidris pugnax

Stilt Sandpiper

Calidris himantopus

Calidris alpina

Baird's Sandpiper

Calidris bairdii

Calidris minuta

Least Sandpiper

Calidris minutilla

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

Western Sandpiper

Hydroprogne caspia

Chlidonias niger

Sterna forsteri

Thalasseus elegans

Thalasseus maximus

Bonaparte's Gull

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

Short-billed Gull

Larus brachyrhynchus

Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensis

Larus occidentalis

Larus hyperboreus

California Gull

Larus californicus

American Herring Gull

Larus smithsonianus

Glaucous-winged Gull

Larus glaucescens

Pigeon Guillemot

Cepphus columba

Red-throated Loon

Pelagic Cormorant

Urile pelagicus

Double-crested Cormorant

Nannopterum auritum

White-faced Ibis

American Bittern

Botaurus lentiginosus

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Butorides virescens

Great Blue Heron

American White Pelican

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Pelecanus occidentalis

Pandion haliaetus

White-tailed Kite

Elanus leucurus

Northern Harrier

Circus hudsonius

Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

American Barn Owl

Athene cunicularia

Short-eared Owl

Belted Kingfisher

Megaceryle alcyon

Nuttall's Woodpecker

Dryobates nuttallii

American Kestrel

Falco sparverius

Falco columbarius

Sayornis nigricans

Willow Flycatcher

Empidonax traillii

Western Flycatcher

Empidonax difficilis

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Myiarchus cinerascens

Loggerhead Shrike

Lanius ludovicianus

California Scrub Jay

Aphelocoma californica

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Bombycilla cedrorum

Tachycineta bicolor

Violet-green Swallow

Tachycineta thalassina

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Stelgidopteryx serripennis

Hirundo rustica

American Cliff Swallow

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

American Bushtit

Psaltriparus minimus

Cistothorus palustris

Thryomanes bewickii

Northern House Wren

Troglodytes aedon

Northern Mockingbird

Mimus polyglottos

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Western Bluebird

Sialia mexicana

Passer domesticus

Anthus rubescens

American Goldfinch

Lesser Goldfinch

Spinus psaltria

Grasshopper Sparrow

Ammodramus savannarum

Red Fox Sparrow

Passerella iliaca

Dark-eyed Junco

White-crowned Sparrow

Zonotrichia leucophrys

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Zonotrichia atricapilla

Harris's Sparrow

Zonotrichia querula

Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis

Melospiza melodia

Lincoln's Sparrow

Melospiza lincolnii

California Towhee

Melozone crissalis

Pipilo maculatus

Western Meadowlark

Sturnella neglecta

Icterus cucullatus

Tricolored Blackbird

Agelaius tricolor

Red-winged Blackbird

Agelaius phoeniceus

Brown-headed Cowbird

Brewer's Blackbird

Euphagus cyanocephalus

Great-tailed Grackle

Quiscalus mexicanus

Common Yellowthroat

Geothlypis trichas

American Yellow Warbler

Setophaga aestiva

Setophaga coronata

Larus glaucoides

Branta bernicla

Branta hutchinsii

Anser caerulescens

Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifrons

Cairina moschata

Aythya fuligula

White-winged Scoter

Melanitta deglandi

Melanitta americana

California Quail

Callipepla californica

Meleagris gallopavo

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Chaetura pelagica

White-throated Swift

Aeronautes saxatalis

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Archilochus alexandri

Rufous Hummingbird

Selasphorus rufus

Allen's Hummingbird

Selasphorus sasin

Greater Roadrunner

Geococcyx californianus

Band-tailed Pigeon

Patagioenas fasciata

Red-necked Grebe

Podiceps grisegena

Chilean Flamingo

Phoenicopterus chilensis

American Golden Plover

Pluvialis dominica

Hudsonian Godwit

Limosa haemastica

Phalaropus fulicarius

Solitary Sandpiper

Tringa solitaria

Wandering Tattler

Black Turnstone

Arenaria melanocephala

Calidris canutus

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Calidris pusilla

Sternula antillarum

Hydrocoloeus minutus

Franklin's Gull

Leucophaeus pipixcan

Heermann's Gull

Larus heermanni

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Slaty-backed Gull

Larus schistisagus

Long-tailed Jaeger

Stercorarius longicaudus

Parasitic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticus

Brandt's Cormorant

Urile penicillatus

Little Blue Heron

Egretta caerulea

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Accipiter striatus

Swainson's Hawk

Buteo swainsoni

Ferruginous Hawk

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

Acorn Woodpecker

Melanerpes formicivorus

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus ruber

Downy Woodpecker

Dryobates pubescens

Northern Flicker

Colaptes auratus

Falco mexicanus

Western Wood Pewee

Contopus sordidulus

Least Flycatcher

Empidonax minimus

Western Kingbird

Tyrannus verticalis

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Tyrannus forficatus

Eastern Kingbird

Tyrannus tyrannus

Cyanocitta stelleri

Baeolophus inornatus

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Poecile rufescens

Eremophila alpestris

Riparia riparia

Chamaea fasciata

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Regulus satrapa

Salpinctes obsoletus

Troglodytes pacificus

Blue-grey Gnatcatcher

Polioptila caerulea

White-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta carolinensis

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta canadensis

Certhia americana

Oreoscoptes montanus

California Thrasher

Toxostoma redivivum

Ixoreus naevius

Swainson's Thrush

Catharus ustulatus

Catharus guttatus

Turdus migratorius

Northern Red Bishop

Euplectes franciscanus

Haemorhous purpureus

Lapland Longspur

Calcarius lapponicus

Chestnut-collared Longspur

Calcarius ornatus

Chondestes grammacus

Chipping Sparrow

Spizella passerina

Clay-colored Sparrow

Spizella pallida

White-throated Sparrow

Zonotrichia albicollis

Pooecetes gramineus

LeConte's Sparrow

Ammospiza leconteii

Melospiza georgiana

Green-tailed Towhee

Pipilo chlorurus

Yellow-breasted Chat

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Northern Waterthrush

Parkesia noveboracensis

Orange-crowned Warbler

Leiothlypis celata

MacGillivray's Warbler

Geothlypis tolmiei

American Redstart

Setophaga ruticilla

Blackpoll Warbler

Setophaga striata

Setophaga palmarum

Prairie Warbler

Setophaga discolor

Black-throated Grey Warbler

Setophaga nigrescens

Townsend's Warbler

Setophaga townsendi

Setophaga occidentalis

Wilson's Warbler

Cardellina pusilla

Western Tanager

Piranga ludoviciana

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Pheucticus ludovicianus

Black-headed Grosbeak

Pheucticus melanocephalus

Passerina amoena

Laterallus jamaicensis

Antigone canadensis

Charadrius melodus

Eurasian Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Leucophaeus atricilla

Western Screech Owl

Megascops kennicottii

Fischer's Lovebird

Agapornis fischeri

Eastern Warbling Vireo

Mangrove Warbler

Setophaga petechia

Virginia Opossum

Didelphis virginiana

Black-tailed Jackrabbit

Lepus californicus

Desert Cottontail

Sylvilagus audubonii

Sylvilagus bachmani

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

California Ground Squirrel

Otospermophilus beecheyi

Ondatra zibethicus

Mephitis mephitis

Northern Raccoon

Northern Gray Fox

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Eastern Fox Squirrel

North American Beaver

Castor canadensis

California Vole

Microtus californicus

Salt-marsh Harvest Mouse

Reithrodontomys raviventris

California Sea Lion

Zalophus californianus

Odocoileus hemionus

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