Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve

The Ballona Wetlands are the last remaining coastal wetland in Los Angeles, a 577-acre ecological reserve between Playa del Rey and Marina del Rey. Once part of a vast wetland system that covered much of the LA basin, this remnant habitat is critically important for migratory shorebirds, waterfowl, and raptors along the Pacific Flyway.

The reserve includes tidal salt marsh, freshwater marsh, upland habitat, and restored dune areas. Over 200 bird species have been recorded here. Spring brings returning Least Terns and Snowy Plovers to nest, while the mudflats attract migrant shorebirds including Western and Least Sandpipers, Marbled Godwit, and Long-billed Curlew. White-tailed Kites hunt over the grassland areas, and Belding's Savannah Sparrows (a state-listed subspecies) nest in the pickleweed marsh.