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Aviary Cam

Our aviary cam provides an adventure in birdwatching, as we're never sure who'll stroll on camera. Today's sightings might include a black-necked stilt with long red legs built for wading. As the bird strides out across the mud, it may keep walking and picking insects till it's feeding in water up to its belly.

If you spot a bird with a long, bright-red beak, large pink feet and yellow eyes, it's a black oystercatcher. An oystercatcher uses its beak to probe the sand for worms and crabs.

Nearly all the birds you see in the aviary have been rescued from the wild. We assist the local wildlife center in caring for injured birds. Those that fully recover are returned to the wild.

Feathered Friends

November 21-22, Sat.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Included with Aquarium admission

Get to know some amazing birds this Thanksgiving at the Monterey Bay Aquarium's "Feathered Friends" event.

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Plastic: A Deadly Diet for the Laysan Albatross

Around the world, up to one million seabirds die each year from eating plastic or becoming entangled in plastics and other marine debris. The Laysan albatross is particularly vulnerable. Learn how plastic is affecting albatrosses and how �Makana,� a beautiful Laysan albatross, is helping us teach Aquarium visitors about this issue.

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	Aviary Spotting Guide
What's the bird with the red legs? Was that a curlew I saw? Use our cam spotting guide to find out.

Live Web Cam 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Pacific Time

Cam Help

Our live web cams are made possible through the generosity of our members and donors. If you would like to lend your support, you can donate online. The cam will time out after 30 minutes—refresh/reload your browser window to restart the stream.

Operation Snowy Plover

Snowy plovers nest right on the sand—a problem on a busy beach. Nervous parents leave their nests, and people and dogs step on the eggs. Keeping your "best friend" on a leash at the beach protects shorebirds.

Most snowy plover colonies are monitored by state park volunteers or staff, who rescue abandoned eggs or chicks and bring them here or to other facilities. When the fledglings are able to survive in the wild, we release them near other plover colonies on local beaches.

Snowy plover chicks behind the scenes.

After the eggs hatch, we raise the chicks until they can survive in the wild.

When they arrive, they're placed in an incubator behind the scenes.

The entire process takes just a few weeks.

Celebrating 25 Years of Ocean Conservation

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Aviary Cam

Aviary Spotting Guide

Operation Snowy Plover