The Western Snowy Plover
The Conservation Efforts to Save This Endangered Bird
History and Plan
A Western Snowy Plover on the Beach
The the western snowy plover is a small shorebird, roughly 6 inches long, that has an average lifespan of 3 years. The Pacific coast population has been threatened under the Endangered Species Act since March 5th, 1993. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has had a recovery plan in place since 2007 with the objective of increasing the population across the range of the Pacific western snowy plover, managing the species and it's habitat, and monitoring the different populations and threats to gauge recovery success. The large focus is on protecting their breeding grounds. Currently, there are less than 3,000 individuals.
Range Map of the Western Snowy Plover
Range
The Pacific western snowy plover nests all along the Pacific coast from southern Washington all the way down to Baja California.
Habitat and Threats
Needing Protection
Protecting the Western Snowy Plover
Conservation Efforts
Western Snowy Plover with Chick
There is still a long way to go before the Western Snowy Plover gets removed from the threatened list. The total population has to be over 3,000 individuals for 10 years in a row. Conservation efforts are showing increase in numbers, so it's clear that the work is paying off and it should continue.
