Chapters 1 - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Chapter 4
individuals are also observed each year at Whiskey 8 Beach on the Naval Weapons Station during
the winter count.
Human disturbance, predation, and inclement weather, combined with the loss of nesting habitat to
urban development and the encroachment of introduced beachgrass (Ammophila arenaria), have
led to an overall decline in the breeding and wintering population of the western snowy plover
along the Pacific Coast. In southern California, the very large human population and resulting
recreation activities have precluded the western snowy plover from breeding on historic beach
strand nesting habitat. As a result of these factors, the Pacific Coast population of the western
snowy plover was federally-listed as threatened in 1993.
There are only a handful of snowy plover breeding locations currently used in southern California.
Well used locations include Bolsa Chica (Orange County), Camp Pendleton, Batiquitos Lagoon,
NAB Coronado, Silver Strand State Beach, Naval Radio Receiving Facility, and Tijuana Estuary
in San Diego County. No western snowy plover nesting has been documented on the Refuge and
although foraging opportunities do exist on the Refuge for the plover, this species is rarely
observed on the Refuge. The few observations of this bird that do occur annually on the Refuge
are generally limited to the non-breeding season.
4.3.5.4 Salt Marsh Bird’s-beak (Cordylanthus maritimus spp. maritimus)
Salt marsh bird’s-beak is an annual plant that typically grows in the upper elevations of tidal salt
marsh habitat, but can also occasionally be found in nontidal salt marsh. Three bird’s-beak
subspecies grow in the saline marshes of the western United States and Baja California, with the
subspecies Cordylanthus maritimus maritimus occurring in the coastal marshes of northern Baja
California and southern California from San Diego to Santa Barbara Counties.
Salt marsh bird’s-beak has an upright, branched growth form with an abundance of purple
pigment in its tissues. A hemiparasitic plant, salt marsh bird’s beak is believed to derive water and
perhaps nutrients through specialized root connections with other species (USFWS 1985c). Often
found in association with pickleweed, shore grass, salt grass, Frankenia, and sea lavender, salt
marsh bird’s-beak grows in well-drained/well-aerated soils that dry during the summer and where
the only freshwater input is rainfall. Germination occurs in spring when soil salinities are low and
soil moisture is high. Studies indicate that freshwater influence in the spring encourages
germination and that salinities at the time of germination usually cannot exceed 12 ppt. Flowering
usually spans May to October but can sometimes occur during the winter. Pollination by upland,
native bees is considered important to seed production, and yearly population numbers depend
directly on seed dispersal and a site that provides the precise conditions required for germination.
Colonies of salt marsh bird’s-beak are found in only a few scattered salt marsh habitats between
Santa Barbara and San Diego Counties. It is currently surviving at Carpinteria Marsh, Mugu
Lagoon/Ormand Beach, Upper Newport Bay, Sweetwater Marsh, Naval Radio Receiving Facility
(YMCA Surf Camp site), and Tijuana Slough. This species was listed as endangered in 1970 due to
destruction and degradation of southern California’s coastal salt marsh systems.
The recovery objective for this species is to protect, secure, and manage sufficient salt marsh
bird’s-beak colonies (20 acres of high marsh habitat at appropriate elevations) in 12 major marshes
within the historic range of the plant in the United States (USFWS 1985c). The recovery
strategies described in the recovery plan for this species that are relevant to the Seal Beach NWR
include:
4-68 Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge