Snowy Plover Update - June 9, 2023

June 09, 2023 Posted by: Matt Lau

Overview

Hello Ploverites!

We have our first confirmed snowy plover fledgling of the nesting season! On June 8, biologists observed a single fledged chick still being tended to by an adult male snowy plover midway between the Abbotts Lagoon mouth and North Beach parking lot. This chick was one of two that hatched from within the Lagoon restoration area on May 12.

Chick survival appears to be relatively low so far this season. Of the 11 nests that have hatched so far, 28 chicks have hatched. Only one of these have fledged and we are fairly confident only nine chicks are still running around on beaches, though we are often surprised to find more! Assuming all nine of those chicks survive to fledge, that is 10 out of 28 chicks (a 35.7% fledge rate). We're crossing our fingers they all survive to fledge age! We're about halfway through the season and we expect a new round of nests to pop up—so many more hatchlings to come!

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

CURRENT STATS:

  • 30 total nests this season
    • 11 active nest
    • 11 hatched
    • 8 failed nests
  • 9–12 chicks on PRNS beaches
  • 1 chicks fledged!

A photo of a small black-speckled, beige-colored chick standing on sand. Red and violet bands are attached to its left leg and red and blue bands are attached to its right leg.Two week old snowy plover chick, Limantour Beach. June 2023.
Photo credit: NPS/Matt Lau

A photo of two small black-speckled, beige-colored chicks sitting on sand against the lower side of a driftwood log.Two newly hatched snowy plover chicks were found hiding underneath the side of beach driftwood. North Beach, 2023.
Photo credit: NPS/Matt Lau


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: June 9, 2023

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