BIRDS OF A FEATHER RESCUED SHOREBIRDS FLOCK TOGETHER TO TEACH ENVIRONMENTAL LESSONS IN NEW EXHIBIT.

Byline: Kelly Puente

Staff Writer

It's feeding time at the Aquarium of the Pacific's Shorebird Sanctuary, and Oscar, a black-necked stilt, is scrambling after a mealworm wedged in an old wooden log.

With his delicate legs, black-and-white plumage and red, beady eyes, Oscar's cartoon-like appearance draws the curiosity of children at the exhibit.

"Daddy, is that a penguin?" asks 4-year-old Kyle.

"I don't think they've ever seen birds like this before," says his father, Louis Alba. "It's quite amusing."

The stilt is one of five species of shore and migratory birds featured at the aquarium's new Shorebird Sanctuary, which opened March 29 in Long Beach.

Other species in the permanent 1,200-

square-foot wetlands exhibit include two black-bellied plovers, a western snowy plover, a killdeer and two ruddy ducks.

The exhibit also includes schools of topsmelt, black perch and shiner surfperch that swim in the 15,000-gallon tank, and local plants, like the sea-blite, that decorate the sandy terrain. Completing the exhibit is a large marshland mural in the background.

The exhibit is designed to resemble such wetlands as the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach, which is home to more than 200 bird species.

The birds, plants and fish in the exhibit were carefully selected to represent some of the many species that depend on California's wetlands for survival.

"Part of our strategy is to connect people to the environment within our region," says Jerry R. Schubel, president and CEO of the aquarium. "We want to show the beauty of our wetlands while teaching people how vital they are to coastal wildlife."

Coming to the rescue

Formerly the site of a sea turtle habitat, the new bird exhibit is starting out somewhat small, with seven birds. All are rescue birds from rehabilitation facilities at such places as the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Previously injured by oil spills, fishing lines, pollution or loss of habitat, the birds are now healthy and active but deemed unreleasable in the wild because of their former wounds.

"Some of the birds have had wing amputations and can't fly," says Aquarium of the Pacific bird biologist Jenna McMahon. "It's sad. But here they have a great home. It's the best alternative, since they wouldn't be able to survive in the wild."

The exhibit sits outdoors with a thin fence to keep the birds from wandering out. As they adjust to their new home, the aquarium hopes to eventually take down the fence and expand the exhibit to encompass more types of rescue birds.

Oscar, an aquarium veteran from the old sea turtle habitat, seems right at home in the new digs as he peers back at curious onlookers.

Ruby the ruddy duck doesn't seem to mind the gawkers either. She floats serenely in the saltwater, her bill tucked under one wing.

Serenity aside, Oscar, Ruby and the other Shorebird Sanctuary occupants have an agenda. Aquarium officials hope the birds will teach the public about the fragility of coastal wildlife and encourage preservation of wetlands.

California has lost an estimated 95 percent of its original wetlands, says Schubel. In the past, people didn't understand what the wetlands were and why they were important, he says. The habitats were considered vacant swampland, to be filled in and paved over. Only recently have people begun to realize what wetlands bring to California's wildlife.

Endangered species thrive here

Home to more than 40 of the state's endangered species, including the California least tern and the western snowy plover, California's coastal wetlands are characterized by soil that is saturated by saltwater or a mix of fresh and saltwater (brackish).

Such waters provide a crucial breeding ground for hundreds of species. Wetlands also cleanse and improve water quality by filtering sediment and toxic substances and also help control flooding.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 71 percent of the $26.8 billion fishing industry is derived from fish that depend directly or indirectly on coastal wetlands.

"The wetlands act like a mother's womb," says Grace Adams, executive director of the Bolsa Chica Conservancy. "They're compact, warm and safe. Many species of fish depend on this nursery for survival. They also provide food, shelter and nesting sites for thousands of migratory birds. These areas are absolutely rich in life."

Bolsa Chica covers 1,247 acres of an undeveloped coastal area. The wetlands are in the middle of the Pacific Flyway, a north-south route for migratory birds extending from Alaska to South America. Each year, thousands of birds depend on Southern California's wetlands for a "pit stop" to rest and refuel.

With so few wetlands remaining, these rest stops are becoming scarce, says Adams.

"Imagine having to walk from Tijuana to Santa Barbara without stopping," says Mary Loquvam, outreach coordinator for the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project. "Birds have to stop and refuel just like we do."

One of the last standing wetlands ecosystems in Southern California, Bolsa Chica is a "crown jewel," according to Loquvam.

Like all wetlands in the region, though, parts of Bolsa Chica are still in jeopardy. Currently, the Bolsa Chica Land Trust is fighting to preserve 50 privately owned acres in danger of development. The fight will be taken to the Coastal Commission on May 9.

Still, the extensive restoration of Bolsa Chica gives hope to people like Tim Anderson, executive director of the Los Cerritos Land Trust, who is fighting to preserve the quickly dwindling Los Cerritos Wetlands on the Long Beach/Seal Beach border.

"We're asking wildlife to survive on 3 percent of what it once was," says Anderson. "But with places like Bolsa Chica and the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge, we have proof of what is possible."

Bird lovers like Rich Sonnenberg, president of the El Dorado Audubon Society, hope future generations will be able to experience the abundance of wildlife he sees today.

"You can't stop development, but we should learn to work with what we have," he says. "With so few wetlands left, it's crucial to save every inch that we can."

Shorebirds, such as the ones seen at the Shorebird Sanctuary, have a difficult time adapting to development and pollution because they depend on a specific ecosystem to survive, he says.

A Long Beach resident for 43 years, Sonnenberg says he has seen birds like the western snowy plover decline in numbers over the years. No more than 5 1/4 inches in size, the snowy plover has a particularly difficult time because it nests on bare ground along stretches of beach or marshland. Its nest is extremely vulnerable to predators, pets and human interference.

Jay Jay, the snowy plover in the Shorebird Sanctuary, is capturing visitors' hearts. The tiny white bird is constantly at the side of the much larger killdeer, leaving many to think the plover is the killdeer's chick. Children and adults alike are surprised to learn that the little bird is actually one of California's threatened species.

"I've learned more about our local birds than I ever knew," says aquarium visitor Mary Jansen. "The bird exhibit is a wonderful educational tool."

SHOREBIRD SANCTUARY

What: Wetlands exhibit with five species of shore and migratory birds and schools of topsmelt, black perch and shiner surfperch.

Where: Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach.

When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Admission: $20.95 adults, $17.95 seniors 62 and older, $11.95 children 3 to 11,

free for children under 3.

Information: [phone], www.aquariumofpacific.org.

CAPTION(S):

6 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) On the cover: A black-necked stilt resides at the aquarium

(2 -- color) Visitors stroll the Aquarium of the Pacific's new Shorebird Sanctuary. The birds, plants and fish in the exhibit were carefully selected to represent some of the many species that depend on California's wetlands for survival.

(3 -- 6 -- color) The aquarium's 1,200-square-foot wetlands exhibit is home to a variety of shorebird species, including, from far left, a pair of ruddy ducks, a black-bellied plover, a snowy plover and a killdeer, below. All are rescue birds that were previously injured and rehabilitated but can no longer survive in the wild.

Box:

SHOREBIRD SANCTUARY (see text)