Bay Area Citizen Science Programs

There are many ways you can help add to our understanding of native bird and other wildlife species and their needs in a changing world. In addition to Madrone Audubon’s Sonoma County Breeding Bird Atlas and West Sonoma County Christmas Bird Count, our members have participated in several other long-term bird monitoring studies through Bay Area organizations. These include the Shollenberger/Ellis Creek bird surveys, seabird monitoring, and the heron and egret project.

The programs listed below also offer opportunities for participation in shorter duration counts, surveys, and monitoring.

Beach Watch (Greater Farallones Marine Sanctuary)

Beach Watch is a long-term shoreline monitoring project founded in 1993 by Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Volunteers for this year-round ecosystem assessment program regularly survey an assigned beach within the Greater Farallones and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries.

Colonial Waterbird Program (SFBBO)

San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory’s Colonial Waterbird Program - From early February (after a late January training) through early August, help track numbers of breeding herons, egrets, terns, gulls and other birds that nest in colonies around the Bay Area.

Seabird Monitoring Program

Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods' Seabirds program monitors seabirds and works to reduce human disturbance to seabirds and other wildlife along the California coast through an outreach and education program combined with law enforcement and seabird management actions. Learn more.