![A woman with a braid in her hair looking through binoculars at a scrubby landscape](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_600/public/2021-01/birding-kari-hagenow-at-laguna-atascosaNWR-susan-morse-usfws%3Dcropped.jpg?itok=G6DDJfrW)
270 species of birds may be observed at the refuge, 99 of which nest on the refuge. Visitors can see large concentrations of diving ducks, dabblers, and sea ducks in winter. Raptors, pelicans, wading birds, and shorebirds are also visible during many times of the year. If you listen carefully, you may hear the clattering of a clapper or king rail or the “kik-kik-ker” sound of the less common black rail.