Live Aviary Bird Cam

A Recreated California Shoreline

This live webcam looks out over the Sandy Shore Aviary, a carefully built habitat that mirrors the open coastal dunes and tidal flats of the Monterey Bay region. Soft sand, weathered driftwood and clusters of native dune plants frame a shallow channel where the resident birds feed and rest.

Shorebirds in Residence

Keep watch for the elegant black-necked stilt and American avocet on their impossibly long legs, the boldly colored black oystercatcher, and the tiny western plover and sandpipers that blend almost perfectly into the sand. Many wear small leg bands that help the aquarium's aviculturists track each individual.

Conservation in Action

Most of these birds arrived injured and unable to survive in the wild, finding lifelong care at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The exhibit highlights the aquarium's mission to inspire ocean conservation, giving viewers a window onto species that share California's vital coastal ecosystems.