The Western Snowy Plover, Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus, is found from Southern Washington State down through Southern Baja Mexico. They may breed several times throughout the breeding season, starting in early March and wrapping up the festivities in late September. With all this activity, you would think there would be an awful lot of them.
However, this adorable bird is classified as a federal threatened species. It is under pressure for several reasons. It nests on the beach and is in direct competition with humans for prime beach space, with nests often falling prey to construction, beach vehicles and passing humans and and their pets (horses, dogs, cats). It also suffers from our attempts to modify beaches such as adding sand or adding non-native plants that modify crucial habitat. Finally, it remains a tasty morsel for both natural predators (sea gulls, hawks, owls, skunks, racoons) and introduced predators (feral cats).
These two birds were part of a group of 6 birds relaxing in a tire track in the sand. Ironically, the same tire track that provided them shelter highlights how precarious their beach existance (and especially nesting out on the open beach) really is.
No comments:
Post a Comment