Birds
Newport Bay is one of the top birding sites in the United States, as there are over 200 bird species that have made their homes here. Visiting the Back Bay will showcase the immense diversity of the bird inhabitants. The Back Bay is a vital area in the migration process; it serves as a sort of rest stop for birds migrating from Alaska or Canada. Some examples of birds that can be seen in the Back Bay are the light-footed clapper rail (Rallus longirostris levipes), the California least tern (Sterna antillarum browni), the Belding's savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis beldingi), and the Least Bell's vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus). All of these birds are considered endangered, on both the federal and the state levels.The bluffs surrounding the bay are also home to three sensitive species, the California Gnatcatcher, San Diego Cactus Wren, and Burrowing Owl.
Read more about this topic: Newport Back Bay
Famous quotes containing the word birds:
“Over Sir John’s hill,
The hawk on fire hangs still;
In a hoisted cloud, at drop of dusk, he pulls to his claws
And gallows, up the rays of his eyes the small birds of the bay....”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)
“The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God’s Heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.”
—Dorothy Frances Gurney (1858–1932)
“While he hears in every spring
How the birds do chirp and sing:
Or before the hounds in cry
See the hare go stealing by:
Or along the shallow brook,
Angling with a baited hook,
See the fishes leap and play
In a blessed sunny day:”
—Nicholas Breton (1542–1626)