Phalarope Research
Quick links:
How to Become a Volunteer • North American Phalarope Survey Report • 2023-2026 Strategic Plan
Counts of phalaropes in current and former salt production ponds in South San Francisco Bay have declined from 2005 to present. In 2019, SFBBO piloted a new research project to survey phalaropes in the South San Francisco Bay with the help of community science volunteers. Using data and feedback from this project, SFBBO biologists designed a community science research program to conduct phalarope surveys from July through September to characterize trends in counts and changes in space use within South San Francisco Bay.
Through our Strategic Plan we aim to expand the use of our data and research, and engage with other scientific communities and resource-management agencies, to address climate change, habitat loss, and other environmental issues. We hope you will join our community of scientists, resource managers, and environmental organizations by using our data and analysis to better understand how birds are doing and find ways to promote sustainability in your community.
Jump to the following sections: Impact of Our Work, View Our Data, Get Involved, and Thanks to Our Supporters.
Impact of Our Work
Share Our Research – The largest number of phalaropes is present during their peak migration in late summer and fall. Since phalaropes are not present at precisely the same time each year, we conduct seven surveys (one every two weeks) to give us a better estimate of their peak abundance. The data from these surveys will help land managers understand the impacts of ongoing habitat change on phalaropes.
View Our Findings and Information About Phalaropes
Click on the links below to view our reports and findings. For information about our Phalarope research or to discuss collaborations involving our data, please contact Science Director Nathan Van Schmidt at nvanschmidt@sfbbo.org.
- Phalarope Migration Surveys June-September 2024
- Phalarope Migration Surveys – June-September, 2023
- Bridging the Gap Between Disparate Phalarope Survey Methodologies to Evaluate Population Status – April 21, 2023
- Phalarope Migration Surveys June-September 2022 – April 21, 2023
- Review and Analysis of Historical Phalarope Population Trends – April 21, 2023
- International Effort Studies Phalaropes – Aug. 21, 2021
- Coordinated Phalarope Surveys at Western North American Staging Sites – 2019-2021
- Coordinated Phalarope Surveys at Western North American Staging Sites – 2019-2020
- Shorebirds Who Avoid The Shore: Phalaropes in San Francisco Bay Science Talk by Science Director Max Tarjan – 2020
- Here Again, Gone Again, Red-necked Phalaropes – 2012
- Phalaropes of San Francisco Bay – 2005
- Red-necked Phalaropes
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Red Phalaropes
Get Involved
Volunteer – Attend trainings and help our biologists survey the Bay Area for phalaropes by becoming a volunteer.
Donate – Make a positive impact for birds and habitats by giving generously to SFBBO. Every donation we receive is wisely invested in our mission.
Learn – Learn about birds and bird conservation by participating in our environmental education programs, please contact outreach@sfbbo.org to learn more.
Share – Share our story by covering our work in your publication. Please contact Outreach and Communications Director Kristin Butler at kbutler@sfbbo.org to learn more.
Thanks to Our Volunteers and Funders
Thank you to the volunteers who participate in this program from June through November each year, and to our donors and the California Wildlife Foundation for supporting this work.