• Bird “Control” at the Oakland Airport

    ByGGBA

    Golden Gate Bird Alliance is deeply concerned about the shooting of at least 60 birds near the Oakland Airport on December 23, 2009.  Current reports state that several thousand birds were directly in line with one of the airport’s runways, likely because of a high concentration of fish, and that the birds were unresponsive to the non-lethal “hazing” techniques that normally disperse 90-95% of the birds.  While we understand that human safety is paramount and that some birds do pose risks to aircraft, we are discussing the matter with airport officials, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, the Port of Oakland, and the California Dept. of Fish & Game to determine whether all available non-lethal means were attempted before the birds were killed.  We also hope to work with these agencies to reduce the likelihood that similar lethal measures will be necessary in the future.…

  • Golden Gate Bird Alliance To Conduct Annual Christmas Bird Counts Around the Bay

    ByGGBA

    More than 200 avid Bay Area birders will fan out over San Francisco to count all the birds they see in a single day.

    San Francisco, CA. — On December 29, from before dawn until dusk, hundreds of hardy birders will trek through parks, neighborhoods, wetlands, and woods to count birds.

    WHAT: 2009 Christmas Bird Count (CBC)

    WHERE: San Francisco

    WHEN: Tuesday, December 29

    WHY: To provide insight into the past and present status and health of our bird populations and the general health of our environment, as well as being a social, sporting, and competitive event.

    MEDIA CONTACT: Dan Murphy, 415.564.0074

    SPONSORS: San Francisco – Golden Gate Bird Alliance and Presidio Trust

    Some will venture onto the bay in kayaks and boats. Others will traverse city streets, cross remote streams and creeks, and skirt reservoirs and bay mudflats, with their binoculars and scopes trained on trees, bushes, buildings, wires, poles, land, water, and sky. They will call out the names and numbers of birds they see at every site and carefully record them. Then the count participants will gather at the end of the day over dinner to tally their results and share stories of their day in the field.

    “For Bay Area birders, these two Christmas counts are an integral part of the holiday season,” says Oakland co-organizer Dave Quady. “A great day of birding, then a fine compilation dinner, friends sharing adventures in the field, then telling stories of rare birds over dessert – what could be finer?”

    Coordinated by the National Audubon Society, nearly 60,000 people participated in more than 2,100 counts on three continents last year, the 109th year of Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs). Each count attempts to identify and record every individual bird encountered within a defined 15-mile-diameter circle — about 177 square miles — during one calendar day. Golden Gate Bird Alliance sponsors the Oakland count and co-sponsors the San Francisco counts with the Presidio Trust.  Both counts finished among the top 31 in North America in numbers of species found, with 172 or more species in each. Oakland attracted 189 field observers, the fourth-highest number worldwide; San Francisco’s 117 bird counters placed it among the 18 highest in the world.

    “Christmas Bird Counts combine many of the things Golden Gate Bird Alliance stands for,” says Executive Director Mark Welther. “It’s a fine day where everyday bird-watchers become citizen scientists, contributing data that helps everyone understand Bay Area birdlife and its habitat a little better, capped off with a wonderful dinner.”…

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    Restore the wetland at Sharp Park

    ByGGBA
    We need you to attend a public hearing to help restore Sharp Park! On Wednesday, December 16th at 1pm at San Francisco’s City Hall, Room 263, there will be a San Francisco Supervisors hearing discussing the alternatives report for Sharp Park Golf Course. We need you to attend to ask the Supervisors to reject the all-golf alternative at Sharp Park that the SF Recreation & Park Report is proposing. Instead speak in favor of the restoration of Sharp Park and a new national park that will benefit the community economically and environmentally and provide recreational and educational opportunities, as well as protect endangered species. The golf course is losing money, harming two endangered species, and threatening surrounding communities when the golf course floods.
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    SF Bay Osprey Cam’s Last Season

    ByRyan Nakano

    Osprey Cam’s Last Season

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    SF Bay Ospreys Camera Decommissioning Announcement
    April 13, 2026

    In 2017 Golden Gate Bird Alliance installed two SF Bay Ospreys cameras to bring the Port of Richmond’s Whirley Crane Osprey pair, Rosie and Richmond, into the homes of admirers around the world. For over nine years the cameras have followed the lives of Rosie and Richmond as they built and maintained their nest, raised chicks, and returned year after year. The SF Bay Osprey Cam achieved its goal to bring birds and bird conservation to a new audience, connecting people to nature through the lives of our local Osprey.

    With a heavy heart we announce this will be the final year of the SF Bay Ospreys cam live stream. We want to express our sincere gratitude for all the volunteers who dedicated heroic amounts of time setting up the program, educating viewers, banding the nestlings, and serving as camera operators, video editors, and fish matrix masters. They made the program possible. Most importantly, we would like to thank you, everyone at home who watched Rosie, Richmond, and this year’s new female, Wendy. Thank you to everyone who participated in building this incredible community through social media and the live chat. Just like the birds will continue to go about their lives without the cams, we know this community will live on.

    This year Rosie did not return but Richmond found a new mate, a young female named Wendy. When Rosie did not return from migration this year, and their light pole nest was removed, Richmond returned to the Whirley Crane, where he single-talonedly built an impressive new nest. Only time will tell if Richmond and Wendy are successful in laying eggs and raising chicks. The cameras will continue to stream and capture their lives for the remainder of this final season.

    When will the stream end?

    Our biggest priority is not disturbing the Ospreys. If Richmond and Wendy successfully hatch chicks, we will wait until October when all the chicks have fully fledged and dispersed. If they are unsuccessful and leave the area sooner, we will end the stream in July. 

    Why are we decommissioning the SF Bay Ospreys cameras?

    • Ospreys are a conservation success story, and GGBA’s strategic plan is to turn our bandwidth and primary focus to species that need our help most. In addition to staff and volunteer time, the monthly cost of streaming,website hosting and maintenance, and live chat will be used to protect and enhance habitat for species in decline.
    …

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