Otters and Birds

A river otter pops up from the water as its swimming in Rodeo Lagoon

Sarah Merlau/NPS

River otters in the Marin Headlands
River otters became locally extinct in Marin County by 1960, and weren't seen in Marin again until 1987. When otters reappeared, they probably came from a population along the Russian River. Otters can travel up to 25 miles overnight! After they returned to the lagoon, they quickly ate all of the larger fish. Now, the otters are known to swim under unsuspecting waterbirds and pull them under for dinner.

The River Otter Ecology Project with help from NatureBridge is conducting studies to better understand the behavior and health of our local otters including details regarding their range, reproduction and dietary habits.

Feathered friends at the lagoon
Rodeo Lagoon hosts several hundred brown pelicans every fall, making it one of the largest gathering spots for the species in northern California. In addition to pelicans, many aquatic birds make their home by the lagoon, including double-crested cormorants, great blue herons, grebes and egrets.