Wildlife in Long Beach, Washington
The Long Beach Peninsula in southwest Washington is a coastal marvel, hosting a mosaic of habitats—from windswept ocean dunes and tidal salt marshes to temperate rainforests and freshwater wetlands. This rich tapestry supports a dazzling array of wildlife year-round.
🌊 Habitat Diversity and Refuge Protection
Willapa National Wildlife Refuge & Leadbetter Point
• Willapa Refuge blankets the northern peninsula and parts of Willapa Bay, spanning over 17,000 acres of sand dunes, tidal mudflats, old-growth cedar forests, freshwater wetlands, and salt marshes.
• Adjacent is Leadbetter Point State Park, featuring shifting dunes, beach grass, willow swales, and pine woods. It’s famed as a crucial staging area for migratory birds in spring and fall.
These protected areas form a wildlife superhighway—ideal for migratory birds and a haven for rare amphibians and mammals. With minimal development, wildlife thrives undisturbed.
🐦 Avian Spectacular: Shorebirds, Raptors & Songbirds
Shorebirds & Waterfowl
• Over 300 bird species visit annually, with up to 100,000 shorebirds gathering in spring alone at Willapa Bay.
High concentrations:
• Black-bellied Plovers, Sanderlings, Whimbrels
• Western Snowy Plovers nest on dunes; they’re considered threatened.
• Marbled Godwits, Terns, Sandpipers, Willets, and others traverse via Leadbetter Point.
Wildlife watchers can traverse the Tarlatt Slough, Leadbetter Point, and Discovery Trail to witness waterfowl like Northern Pintails, Teals, American Bitterns, Great Egrets, and Trumpeter Swans.
Raptors & Coastal Predators
• Bald Eagles and Ospreys hunt fish off the coast and bay.
• Peregrine Falcons and Cooper’s Hawks scan forest and dune edges.
Forest & Woodland Songbirds
Old-growth forests host species like the Marbled Murrelet, Steller’s Jays, Common Ravens, and Hutton’s Vireos. Murrelets, in particular, nest on mossy branches inland—an endangered coastal species relying on undisturbed forests.
🐟 Marine Life: Fish, Crustaceans & Filter Feeders
Estuarine Residents
• Five salmon species migrate through Willapa Bay to spawn, while Green and White Sturgeon find sanctuary here.
• Intertidal zones teem with clams (notably razor clams), oysters, crabs, and mud snails—though the invasive New Zealand Mud Snail is a concern.
Marine Mammals
• Harbor Seals haul out on sandbars; occasional California Sea Lions and other pinnipeds may appear. Coastal waters entertain Pelagic Cormorants, Common Murres, and Cormorants feeding offshore.
🦌 Amphibians, Reptiles & Terrestrial Mammals
Amphibian Diversity
Willapa Refuge harbors more amphibian species than any other in Washington, like:
• Van Dyke’s Salamander (endemic, woodland dweller), Pacific Giant Salamander, Olympic Salamander, Eschscholtz’s Salamander, Western Red-backed Salamander, and lungless species.
• Frogs: Pacific Chorus Frog, Northern Red-legged Frog, and the invasive American Bullfrog are documented along ocean beaches.
Reptiles & Small Mammals
• Water turtles (often referred to as turtles but likely juvenile marine turtles have been noted) also use bay waters.
• Forests and dunes support small mammals: chipmunks, rabbits, raccoons, skunks, bats, squirrels, and elusive woodpeckers and owls.
🦌 Large Mammals & Coastal Predators
• Roosevelt Elk roam bay wetlands and adjacent forest openings.
• On Leadbetter Point: black bears, elk, and raccoons frequent woodland edges.
• Deep forests on Long Island support marten, otter, beaver, mule deer, bison?
🦅 Seasonality: Migration, Breeding, and Wintering
Spring & Fall Migrations
• Massive shorebird congregations—Black-bellied Plovers, Sanderlings, Whimbrels, and Godwits—descend on mudflats in spring, feeding to fuel their long journeys.
• Leadbetter Point and Willapa refuge are among the top landbird migration routes, showcasing warblers, vireos, and sparrows passing through early mornings.
Summer & Breeding
• Shorebirds nest in dunes (e.g., Snowy Plovers), woodland birds rear young, and amphibians breed in seasonal wetlands.
• Salmonids return to spawn in freshwater creeks flowing into Willapa Bay.
Winter & Overwintering
• Waterfowl—ducks, geese, egrets, swans—overwinter in protected bay marshes and tidal zones.
• Trumpeter Swans in Hines Marsh are a winter highlight at Leadbetter Point.
🌿 Conservation Triumphs, Threats & Management
Conservation Success
• The Willapa Refuge, along with state parks, offers vital protections across dune, forest, wetland, and salt marsh habitats.
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife enforces sustainable shellfish harvests (razor clams, oysters), ensuring intertidal ecosystems remain balanced.
Ongoing Threats
• Sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and saltwater intrusion affect dunes, marshes, and estuaries.
• Human Disturbance: Off-road driving, dog walking, and drone use can disrupt nesting birds and sensitive dune communities, particularly near plover nesting areas.
Management Measures
• Certain beach areas are seasonal-nesting wildlife preserves, closed March–September.
• Dune restoration and native plant rehabilitation underway.
• Wildlife staff monitor endangered species (snowy plover, marbled murrelet), salmon populations, and shorebird migration.
• Public education via guided bird walks, interpretive trails (Tarlatt Slough Trail, Discovery Trail), and signage promote respectful wildlife viewing.
👣 Where & When to See Wildlife
• Leadbetter Point Trail: ideal in spring/fall for shorebird flocks, plovers, egrets, herons, swans, raptors.
• Willapa Refuge’s Tarlatt Slough: use boardwalks for unobtrusive observation of waterfowl and shorebirds during winter and migration.
• Discovery Trail (Ilwaco to Long Beach): dune-edge birds, skylarks, plovers, gulls, occasionally raptors. Great through year.
• Cape Disappointment – Bell’s View Trail: coastal forest eagles, peregrines, murres, cormorants.
• Long Island (Willapa Bay): old rainforest teeming with elk, bears, owls, salamanders, marbled murrelet, beaver, and otter.
The Long Beach Peninsula is a living classroom—coastal dunes, estuaries, towering forests, and meandering creeks intersect in a wild dance of seasonal ebb and flow. Each ecosystem hosts its own cast:
• Tidal flats resonate with the rhythm of migrating shorebirds and clam diggers.
• Dunes cradle threatened plover nests and willow-choked ponds for amphibians.
• Salt marshes roar with the lives of swans, egrets, herons, and fish.
• Temperate rainforests high above, echo with calls of murrelets, owls, and spotted salamanders.
Protection efforts—like wildlife closures, habitat restoration, invasive species control, and community stewardship—allow this peninsula to remain among the most intact coastal ecosystems on the Pacific Northwest. From a single beach stroll, birding walk, or dune hilltop, you can sense the deep pulse of nature, wild and unyielding—a treasure preserved with care.
For anyone seeking a richly woven experience of wildlife from marsh to forest, the Long Beach Peninsula stands as a testament to conservation and the beauty of ecological diversity.
Gallery of Local Wildlife Pictures
