Snowy Plover Update - August 2, 2024

August 02, 2024 Posted by: Matt Lau and Aiko Goldston

Overview

Hello Ploverites!

There are only two active snowy plover nests remaining for this season—one in the Abbotts Lagoon restoration area and one on Kehoe Beach, near the lagoon mouth. They are both set to hatch within the next week.

There are currently 10 broods—two broods on Kehoe Beach, two in Abbotts Lagoon restoration area, five between North Beach and Abbotts Lagoon, and one brood on Drakes Spit. The Drakes Spit brood of two chicks will fledge tomorrow, August 3! Plover chicks fledge after 28 days of brooding; after this they may stay around Point Reyes or migrate to a different site. Several broods are approaching this 28-day mark and biologists will be busy this month confirming fledglings to add to the current season's fledge count of 15.

Winter flocks of snowy plovers continue to grow and can be found at the Abbotts Lagoon mouth, south Kehoe Beach, Limantour Spit, and North Beach.

Last week, a banded snowy plover was reported by a biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. This plover had successfully fledged young and was on her second nest of the season. After looking at our records, we found that this plover hatched on Limantour Beach in May 2023. Although many snowy plovers return to where they were born, plovers can also migrate to new sites in search for the perfect nesting habitat. And it seems that this plover found a great spot—800 miles north!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Matt Lau via email.

Productivity Stats

  • 41 total nests this season
    • 2 active nests
    • 27 hatched
    • 11 failed nests
    • 1 collected nest
  • Up to 28 chicks on PRNS beaches
  • 15 chicks fledged

A photo of three small black-speckled, beige-colored, newly-hatched shorebird chicks lying on a sandy beach among small pieces of driftwood.Newly hatched snowy plover chicks with egg tooths (the white tips of the bill). These are used to help chicks break out of the egg, an adaptation shared with reptiles. North Beach.
Photo credit: NPS Photo / Matt Lau

A photo of a small white-breasted, brown-backed shorebird standing on sand among low-lying dune vegetation.A winter flock has been seen hanging out in the short vegetation near the Abbotts Lagoon shoreline.
Photo credit: NPS Photo / Aiko Goldston

A photo of a small white-breasted, brown-backed shorebird standing on one leg on a sandy beach. Two bands—one blue, one orange—are visible around the bird's right leg.A juvenile, as:bo (aqua, silver left leg, blue, orange, right leg) from this season was seen in a winter flock on Limantour Beach.
Photo credit: NPS Photo / Aiko Goldston


The National Park Service shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein. These data and related graphics (if available) are not legal documents and are not intended to be used as such. The information contained in these data is dynamic and may change over time. The National Park Service gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data. For more information: https://www.nps.gov/disclaimer.htm

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Last updated: August 16, 2024

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