Hundreds of birds flock to Solimar Beach

Birds are flocking to Solimar Beach on National Bird Day.

Hundreds of birds hung around the area early Thursday morning.

The birds aren’t coming to shore because of the recent rainstorms. Schools of anchovies are swimming closer to shore.

“A lot of times this is happening because there’s a predator that’s pushing these bait fish. Sometimes it’s sharks. A lot of times its other predatory fish like dolphins that get the [anchovies] all schooled up pushing them using the beach as a wall. They pin them against the beach and then they go in and feed. They push them up to the surface and down come all the birds,” said Douglas McCauley, marine science assistant professor at UC Santa Barbara.

Typically, these birds have to wait for bigger fish to round up the anchovies in order for them to swoop down to feed.

Scientists are pleased with the sighting because they say birds often to have to compete with people to eat.

Reporter Vicky Nguyen will have live reports at 6:00 and 6:30 p.m.

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