Birds of the Los Angeles River
Images of the L.A. River in north Long Beach (left), and 100 years ago near Burbank.
The Los Angeles River flows from near Chatsworth in the western San Fernando Valley, through Burbank/Glendale, and south through downtown L.A. to empty at Long Beach. Though all the the river is concrete-sided, several stretches are "soft-bottomed" - unpaved, and thickly vegetated with riparian and wetland habitat. Along the downstream stretch, the cement bottom supports a thin sheet of water that attracts large numbers of waterbirds year-round, peaking during late summer.
The best viewing areas are at public access points to the L.A. River bikepath, including those at Los Feliz Blvd. and at Willow St. in Long Beach.
