The Snowy Plover is a small wading bird found in parts of North and South America. It is closely related to the Kentish Plover; the two species were once considered the same (and some taxonomic references still consider them so).
Snowy Plovers grow up fast! Baby Snowy Plovers leave their nest scrape within three hours of hatching, though they remain with their parents for shelter and safety. They take their first flight around 30 days after hatching.
Beachfront development negatively impacts Snowy Plover populations, as this species is a dune and beach nesting species. They also face threats from fishing debris (discarded nets and lines) and environmental toxins like pesticides. The species is considered threatened by several states in the U.S., including Oregon, Florida, and Kansas.
The Snowy Plover is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List and was last assessed in 2014 by BirdLife International. This newly-split plover seems to have declined rapidly in parts of its range, although the population may have remained stable in others. Overall a moderately rapid population decline is suspected, owing to the effects of habitat loss and degradation, and disturbance to nesting sites. The species is therefore listed as Near Threatened.
If you think our Birdorable birds are cute as adults, what about when they are babies? Below are some baby photos (shared via Flickr) of the Snowy Plover. Snowy Plovers are ground-nesting birds. Males prepare several scrape-style nesting sites during courtship and the female chooses which scrape... Read more »
One of the latest birds we added at Birdorable is the Snowy Plover. There are five separate races of Snowy Plovers throughout the world. The one in Europe is known as the Kentish Plover. In North America, the... Read more »
