Overview

The Salton Sea is an amazing place to bird with a list of over 400 species. The Salton Sea is a big place, but there are two main areas where I like to watch birds: the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge on the southeast corner of the sea, and the Salton Sea State Recreation Area on the east side of the sea. I try to visit during winter when temperatures are cooler and the bird watching is easier, but interesting species are present all year. The Salton Sea provides open water, shorelines, marshes, farm fields, and upland desert habitats, all of which combine to support a diverse assemblage of species in a relatively small area with great opportunities for birding. The Salton Sea does, however, stink, and you have to just get over it and enjoy the birds.

Link to Map.

Description

The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge bird list sports some 400 species (including 93 nesting species), plus they list 41 species of mammals, 18 species of reptiles, 4 species of amphibians, and 15 species of fish.

The refuge provides critical wintering and migration stopover habitat for over 400 species of birds, including some 30,000 geese (Snow Geese, Ross's Geese, and Canada Geese), and 60,000 ducks during November through February. Endangered species observed on the refuge include Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, Brown Pelicans, Yuma Clapper Rails, and Desert Pupfish. Sensitive species on the refuge include Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, Wood Storks, Long-billed Curlews, Mountain Plovers, Snowy Plovers, Burrowing Owls, and White-faced Ibis.

The Salton Sea State Recreation Area is a day-use area, but they provide camping and nighttime fishing, and therefore the area actually is open 24 hours for campers. The bird list for the Recreation Area is a subset of that recorded on the Wildlife Refuge, but camping birders can visit the marina at night to see dozens of Black-crowned Night Herons and other birds at night.

The State Recreation Area has a marina behind the visitor center that can provide good birding. The spit that protects the marina has shaded picnic tables that are nice for birding over the water, and marshes along the shoreline south of the marina provide habitat for wading birds and other waterbirds. The cactus garden behind the entrance station has trees, palms, and a pool of water (for pupfish) that attract upland birds.

Location

The Salton Sea is located in the low deserts of southeastern California. Access from the north is via Interstate 10, and access from the south is from Interstate 8.

The National Wildlife Refuge headquarters is located at the southeast corner of the Salton Sea between the town of Niland and Calipatria. From Highway 111, which runs along the east side of the Salton Sea, watch for signs and turn west on Sinclair Road, which runs right into refuge headquarters (northwest corner of Sinclair and Gentry Roads).

The State Recreation Area stretches out along the northeast side of the salton sea. Headquarters is located just south of the town of North Shore. Watch for signs along Highway 111.

Amenities

The birdwatching areas at the Salton Sea are located in wild desert and rural farming country with few amenities in the immediate vicinity. The cities of Coachella and Indio to the north and Brawley and El Centro to the south provide everything. Smaller towns such at North Shore and Niland provide essential services. In Niland, be sure to stop for lunch or dinner at Ballesteros Restaurant (760.359.0280) for tasty Mexican food, an authentic Mexican atmosphere, and good prices.

Camping is available in the State Recreation Area, but with budget cutbacks, most of the campgrounds are closed.

Hours

Day-use except for camping in the State Recreation Area. Visit during the cooler seasons (fall, winter, and spring); the best birding is during the fall and spring migrations.

Fees

Entrance to the National Wildlife Refuge is free, but the State Recreation Area charges $5-8 per vehicle depending on season. Camping fees range from $15-30 per site depending on season and type of site (tent vs. RV hookup).

Specialties

The Salton Sea supports lots of specialty birds, but it is a great place to see vast numbers of Eared Grebes and Brown Pelicans, and it is a good place to see Burrowing Owls and Common Ground Doves. Keep an eye out for Blue-footed Boobies, Yellow-footed Gulls, and other oddities.

For More Information

Visit the Sonny Bono Refuge website or the State Recreation Area website. There are lots of online resources (google Salton Sea bird watching).