Sandy Shore & Aviary
Investigate a world of mud flats and marshes rich with life.
Watch our long-legged birds ply the sands as they forage for insects, just as they would in the wild. Then look as flounders lie flat and bat rays skim gracefully along the sandy floor.
- Location
- First floor
- Ecosystem
- Beaches & dunes
- Live cam
- Aviary Cam
Feel the ocean breeze and hear crashing waves in our Aviary.
Two black-necked stilts in our Aviary.
Featured animals in this exhibit
Bat ray
Bat ray
A bat ray flaps its batlike wings to swim through the water to help it uncover prey hiding in the sand.
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Black oystercatcher
Black oystercatcher
Despite its name, this brownish-black bird with large feet seldom eats oysters.
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Killdeer
Killdeer
The black-and-white bands on a killdeer's head and neck make it harder to see as it sits quietly.
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Sea hare
Sea hare
A sea hare may lay up to eighty million eggs, most of which are eaten by predators.
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Shorebirds 101
Bay ghost shrimp
Mud is the ghost shrimp's favorite meal. It eats a bucketful of earth every few weeks, and you can see them in action in our exhibit.
Sea hare
A squishy sea hare can reach 10 pounds. They're named "hares" for their earlike appendages.
Live cam
Aviary Cam
Watch our live web cam of the Aviary at the Monterey Bay Aquarium for an adventure in birdwatching.
Keep exploring
Animals & the ocean
Deep sea animals A to Z
From football-sized giant isopods to transparent jellies that glow, the deep sea is brimming with life.