Rivers of Birds: Riparian Habitat

Imagine you have entered a time machine and have gone back to the past. It is early May, 200 years ago. The 1700s are about to end and the 1800s are about to begin. Thomas Jefferson will be elected President of the United States in less than three years. There are no trains, no cars, no aircraft; not even anything that uses electricity to work. California is not part of the United States. It belongs to the country of Spain. You have been asked to explore the rivers and streams that are now part of the State of California. You are to investigate the birds that are found using the forests that grow alongside  the rivers and streams. The plants that grow along these rivers and streams are called riparian habitat by scientists. You are to report your findings to the people of today.

What do you find?

California’s rivers and streams are bordered by magnificent forests of trees. Some of the trees you see are cottonwoods, willows, and oaks. On many rivers you find great tangles of wild grapes and blackberries. Often times you find the best way to explore is to use the waterways like a car would use a highway; only you use a canoe.

One thing you notice is that there are birds everywhere. They seem to be drawn like a powerful magnet to the trees and smaller plants along the rivers and streams. It seems as if the riparian habitat has turned into rivers of birds. The colors of the birds match all of those found in the brightest rainbow, and more. There are birds that live in the river forests year round. Many others have just arrived on their own flights from the states of western Mexico and beyond. But, no matter where they came from they seem to want to be here.

Why are they here?

You find that it is because the riparian forests produce millions upon millions upon millions of insects that birds love to eat and feed to their young to help them grow into birds that can fly on their own. Because of the water, because of the lush riparian forests, because of the seemingly endless food supply, you discover that more birds depend on riparian habitat for some part of their lifetime than any other habitat in all of California. More than the desert habitat, more than the pine and fir tree habitats of the mountains, more than the oak-covered habitat you find in the foothills, and more than the native grasslands of the great Central Valley.

You notice that over 135 species of birds depend on riparian habitat. You now reenter your time-machine and return to the end of the 1990s. You decide that your report will not be complete until you find out what California’s riparian habitat looks like today. You discover that of every 100 acres that you found 200 years ago that you find as little as two acres today (Note: Two acres would cover a square 100 yards long on each side. Think of two football or soccer fields joined side by side. Each is just a little bigger than two acres.)

A little bird named the Least Bell’s Vireo was the second most common bird you found in the Central Valley 200 years ago; perhaps numbering in the millions. Today, you find none. You are upset and you want to know what you can do to help bring back riparian habitat in California so the Bell’s Vireo and other birds can once again make a river of birds for all Californians. You investigate and find that adults have gotten together to form a California Riparian Habitat Joint Venture (RHJV) to try and restore 1000 miles of riparian habitat in our state by the year 2010. You find that Audubon California has sanctuaries that protect important riparian habitat: Starr Ranch Sanctuary in Orange County, the Kern River Preserve in Kern County, and BobElaine Sanctuary just north of Sacramento. You find that students around the state have a chance to help. You can tell adults that they want to see riparian forests restored so you can enjoy them when you grow up. You can work with adults to plant native riparian habitat trees along a nearby stream or river.

Start A Riparian Habitat Club

You can start a club to spread the word about how good riparian habitat is for birds and people. You have finished your exploring of riparian habitat for now. You have found out about the trouble riparian habitat is in today. You have found out what you can do. Now let’s review the major ideas one more time so you can decide how you might want to help bring back California’s river of birds:

• Riparian habitat is made up of the trees and smaller plants that grow along our rivers and streams.

• Riparian habitat is very important to birds.

• California used to have millions of acres of riparian habitat.

• Today very little riparian habitat is left in California.

• Adults and students can help bring back riparian habitat to California.

• Information is available to help you do your part.  

Activities:  

• Plant some native trees to create habitat for birds at your school or yard.

• Grow 12’-18’ local native trees from cuttings in your classroom and donate them to a tree planting project.

• Write to your city council or county board of supervisors and ask them to have their workers use local native tree species in their plantings.