Sign: Anacapa Seabird Habitat

Sign: Anacapa Seabird Habitat

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To cormorants, brown pelicans, and western gulls, this island offers ideal habitat. The basalt cliffs have ledges for nesting and roosting, isolated from mainland predators and most human interference.

There would be virtually no sea birds in Southern California if it were not for the islands. Sea birds often bathe in the cove to wash off parasites. In a constant shuffle between cliff and ocean, the birds carry anchovies and other fish back to nestlings.

Caption: Cormorants are awkward flyers but prodigious divers, overtaking fish at depths of more than 100 feet. On land they hold their unoiled wings out to dry. Observe the birds closely to see their special adaptations to both land and sea.

Caption: California brown pelicans nest on the ground on Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands. They often fly single file, riding the updrafts along the cliffs.

Caption: Western gulls' nests are visible on cliff ledges. But gulls also nest on the flat terraces above. Look for the different nest patterns as you hike around on the island.