Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

CA.gov California Department of Fish and Wildlife Lands Places to Visit Bolsa Chica ER Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve Ridgway's rail with crab at Bolsa Chica. Photo by: Steven Eric Smith Ridgway's rail with crab at Bolsa Chica CDFW photo by Steven Eric Smith Description The Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is an approximately 1,300 acre coastal estuary. Habitats include open water, mudflats, salt marsh, coastal dunes, seabird nesting islands, riparian, and freshwater marsh. More than 200 avian species have been identified at Bolsa Chica and the reserve is very popular with birders and photographers. The site was historically used for oil and natural gas production activities. The wetlands restoration plan aims to reverse the degradation. Details of the latest project can be found at the link opens in new windowBolsa Chica Lowlands Restoration Project website.

For more information, call the Bolsa Chica Interpretive Center at (714) 846-1114 or the South Coast Region San Diego office at (858) 467-4201.

Ridgway's rail (formally light-footed clapper rail); Western snowy plover, California least tern, Belding's Savannah sparrow, white-tailed kite, black skimmer, elegant tern, Forster's tern, Caspian tern, white-faced ibis, American avocet and black-necked stilt Other noteworthy birds: peregrine falcon, burrowing owl, California gnatcatcher, Northern Harrier, Cooper's hawk, osprey, reddish egret, and tri-colored blackbird Land mammals: coyote, raccoon, striped skunk, cottontail rabbit, California ground squirrel, pocket gopher, brown marsh rat, deer mice, and bats Reptiles: California legless lizard, Southern Pacific rattlesnake, common king snake, San Diego gopher snake, two-striped garter snake, Southern alligator lizard, Western fence lizard and side-blotched lizard Marine life: over 60 species of marine fishes, marine invertebrates, and occasionally California sea lion and green sea turtle Plants: rushes, bulrushes, sedges, California sage, mule fat, and coyote bush Rare and endangered plants: California seablite, woolly seablite, coast woolly-heads and red sand verbena

 Wildlife Branch - Lands Program 1812 9th Street, Sacramento, CA 95811 (916) 445-0411

Location South Coast Region (Region 5) Orange County City of Huntington Beach The reserve is bordered on the north by Warner Avenue, on the west by the Pacific Coast Highway and Bolsa Chica State Beach, on the south by Seapoint Avenue, and on the east by residential neighborhoods. Directions: There are two public parking lots. The north lot is on Warner Ave near Pacific Coast Hwy (southeast corner of the intersection). The south lot is on Pacific Coast Hwy across from the State Beach. CDFW Lands Viewer Osprey with jacksmelt at Bolsa Chica. Photo by: Steven Eric Smith. Ridgway's rail with crab at Bolsa Chica. Photo by: Steven Eric Smith Reddish egret at Bolsa Chica. Photo by: Steven Eric Smith. Belted kingfisher with silverside smelt at Bolsa Chica. Photo by: Steven Eric Smith. Western snowy plover family at Bolsa Chica. An interpretive panel at Bolsa Chica's south parking lot facing the pedestrian bridge spanning Inner Bolsa Bay.