Monterey Area Bird Refuges

Monterey's many wetlands and natural preserves create an inviting environment for more than 200 species of birds — creating a bird watching paradise.

Monterey Birding

Elkhorn Slough Foundation

Box 267, Moss Landing, CA 95039  (831) 728-5939

Elkhorn Slough harbors the largest tract of tidal salt marsh in California outside of San Francisco Bay. This ecological treasure at the center of the Monterey Bay coastline provides much-needed habitat for hundreds of species of plants and animals, including more than 340 species of birds.

Docent-led tours of the Reserve are held every Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. There is also an early birding walk the first Saturday of every month at 8:30 a.m. More >>

Elkhorn Slough Safari

8022 Moss Landing Road Moss Landing, CA  (831) 633-5555

Elkhorn Slough Safari Nature Tours offer close views and photography of sea otters, harbor seals & more as part of a National Estuarine Reserve in Moss Landing, CA, in the Central Monterey Bay area.

Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society

The mission of the National Audubon Society and their local chapters is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity

Moss Landing  –  between Monterey and Watsonville

16 miles north of Monterey on Highway 1      (831) 649-2836

 This area is an important stop along the Pacific Flyway so bird watching is very popular.  (see Elkhorn Slough) 

Ventana Wildlife Society

The Ventana Wildlife Society (VWS) celebrated 30 years as a community-based private non-profit on May 10, 2007. VWS first began by rehabilitating and releasing wildlife at a 240-acre remote field site in the Ventana Wilderness. After 5 years, VWS began reintroducing prairie and peregrine falcons from this same location. Then, in 1986, a bald eagle restoration project began since a local population of eagles was absent for 60 years. VWS successfully restored this population in only 10 years.