The Western Snowy Plover

The Western Snowy Plover is a small, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests on California beaches between March and September. The Pacific Coast population of Western Snowy Plover was listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1993. While a variety of pressures make survival difficult for these birds, three factors are the most significant. These are:

1. Predators. Small mammals, such as fox and raccoon, and birds, particularly the Common Raven, prey on the eggs and chicks of Western Snowy Plovers. Birds of Prey also take adults on occasion, which decreases the population of breeding adults.
2. Human Activities. Encounters with people, dogs and vehicles has led to a decline in the population of Western Snowy Plovers. Nests can be accidentally crushed by vehicles and pedestrians, and just the presence of people and dogs in close proximity can cause adults to abandon nests.
3. Loss of breeding habitat. Western Snowy Plovers prefer open, sandy areas with minimal vegetation for nesting. Due in large part to the spread of introduced plant species, principally European beach grass, the amount of suitable nesting areas has diminished.

Share the Shore Art Contest Winners

The winners of the Western Snowy Plover art contest for 3rd and 4th graders have been made into signs that will be posted on beaches where plovers nest this March.

(See all the winners here)

Western Snowy Plover FAQs

Q: I see hundreds of little shorebirds running around on the waveslope. Are these Western Snowy Plovers?

A: No. If you see hundreds, they are not Western Snowy Plovers. They are likely Sanderlings, which look similar to the Western Snowy Plover and are often mistaken for them. If the birds you see run in and out with the waves looking for food, they are not Western Snowy Plovers.

Q: What do Western Snowy Plovers eat?

A: Western Snowy Plovers feed on invertebrates, such as beach hoppers, in piles of seaweed and debris along the high tide line. They do not run in and out of the waves like some other shorebirds do.

Q: What is the fencing that gets put up at Clam Beach every year?

A: This “symbolic” fencing helps alert beachgoers to the presence of plovers and keep them from entering potential habitat during breeding season (March-September). At Little River State Beach, some fencing was put up to protect habitat restoration areas and the native plants within them, although plovers will sometimes run into this area when disturbed.

Q: Why did biologists stop using exclosures to protect nests?

A: Nest exclosures, or cages around nests, are used to protect eggs from predation. They have not been used at Little River State Beach and Clam Beach County Park since 2006 because avian predators began to target nesting adults as they left the exclosures temporarily to feed. In areas where predators have not yet discovered that they can use the exclosures to find nesting adults, they can still be useful.

Q: Why are Western Snowy Plovers still declining, despite efforts to protect them?

A: In Humboldt County, active protection of plovers has only been occurring for ten years. This may seem like a long time, but it takes many, many years for populations of threatened and endangered species to rebound. The winter of 2005 and 2006 was particularly cold and wet, and resulted in a drop in the adult population. This, combined with increased predation of breeding adult plovers due to exclosures, led to a lower number of chicks in subsequent years. Despite these challenges, Plovers have increased their nest attempts per breeding pair. They are working hard to make up for the difficult years.

Q: Do Western Snowy Plovers use European Beachgrass for cover? Does restoration help, or make the situation worse?

A: Restoration helps. There is no documented evidence that Western Snowy Plovers use European beachgrass for cover. There are some anecdotal cases of Plovers using beachgrass to hide from predators, but only because there is no other option. Native dune mat vegetation is more cryptic and provides better cover. Additionally:

• Males cannot get their chicks into the dunes in bad weather if dense beachgrass is present on the foredune
• European beachgrass prevents adults from seeing predators approaching
• Beachgrass reduces nesting habitat as plovers prefer open, sparsely vegetated areas
• Predators take advantage of beachgrass to sneak up on Plovers