Teams plan to count birds from the Golden Gate Bridge to the San Francisco peninsula Thursday to help identify significant wetlands, upland shorebird habitats and threats posed by feral cats and unleashed dogs, according to the Golden Gate Audubon Society.

Birding teams will be counting the avian populations in 16 areas from one boat.

The 15-mile diameter count circle is centered about a mile east of Lake Merced. It extends from San Francisco Bay about a mile east of Candlestick Point to about 5 miles offshore of Fort Funston, and from the north anchorage of the Golden Gate Bridge to San Bruno.

In previous years, data from this count has been used in testimony before various San Francisco commissions and has formed some of the basis for comments made by the Golden Gate Audubon Society regarding master plans and environmental impact reports.

The information is intended to give a better perspective on avian diversity and distribution in the heavily urbanized north peninsula.

This is one of about 1,800 similar counts taken from Guam to Labrador and from Alaska to Chile between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5.

Further information is available from the Golden Gate Audubon Society at (510)843-2222.

— Bay City News