Estuaries provide critical habitat for a wide variety of fish and wildlife, ranging from waterfowl and shorebirds to young salmon and marine mammals. For migratory birds, Oregon’s estuaries provide important stop-overs for birds moving up and down the Pacific Flyway and a seasonal home base for thousands of wintering waterfowl. Key areas include:

• Columbia River estuary: up to 150,000 shorebirds during peak spring migration; more than 200,000 wintering waterfowl.
• Bandon Marsh: more than 50,000 shorebirds during peak migration.
• Tillamook Bay: up to 20,000 waterfowl in mid-winter.

Present status: Diking and filling has resulted in losses of 50-80 percent of the tidal wetlands in Oregon's larger estuaries. Brant, which are particularly sensitive to disturbance, now winter in only a few estuaries, including Netarts, Yaquina, and Coos bays. Joint venture partners have protected key habitats around more than a dozen Oregon estuaries and are working to restore tidal wetlands in a number of areas.

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