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Presidio of San FranciscoSunset over Lands End from World War II Memorial
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Presidio of San Francisco
Snowy Plover
(Charadrius alexandrinus)
 
Snowy Plover
Will Elder, NPS
Snowy plover at Crissy Field. Colored leg bands allow tracking without capture.
 

Natural History: The Snowy Plover forages at sand beach wash zones by running and pecking to scare up small invertebrates and fish. May be loosely colonial.

General Distribution: In the Presidio, this species can be found in tidal areas.

Frequency: This species is rare in the winter, spring and fall. It is absent in the summer. The Pacific Coast population of this species is federally listed as endangered.

Identifying Characteristics: The Snowy Plover is a small shorebird with a short bicolor beak (except in winter when it is all dark), pale gray above and white below with a dark band on the sides of the neck.

Presidio Birds main page

Ferdinand Foch, Marshal of France  

Did You Know?
French Marshal Ferdinand Foch, supreme commander of the allied forces during World War I, visited Crissy Field in 1921 and declared it "The last word in airfields."

Last Updated: February 23, 2008 at 17:21 EST