Snowy Plover

You can find the Snowy Plover in many types of habitats that are around coastal beaches and shores of alkaline lakes. They mostly live around inland lakes. Although almost 18,000 Snowy Plovers breed in North America, their habitats on the Pacific coast and Gulf coast are under great threat because of invasive species, human development, and other harmful recreational activities performed by humans. IUCN has listed these species as near threatened. These birds are threatened on the Gulf coast and endangered in a couple of other states based around the Pacific Coast. The populations of these birds might become dangerously low if they don’t gain some attention.

About Snowy Plovers

The populations of Snowy Plovers from the Pacific coast have been the subject of several studies since 1995. These birds are prone to dangers to their nests. Predators, humans, and harsh weather are all unfavorable conditions that can significantly impact the nesting success of these birds.

One unique characteristic of Snowy Plovers is their unusual breeding system which is polygamous in nature. In this system, most populations of females desert their first broods after they hatch to move onto new breeding sites where they find other mates. Some males display this sort of breeding behavior, but it is much more common in females. These birds might travel 100s off kilometers away from their nest to find new breeding sites or mates. Therefore, 2 broods are very common for these birds, and 3 are also not uncommon. Don’t these birds seem interesting? Let’s learn a little more about them.

● Snowy Plovers Photos, Color Pattern, Song
● Snowy Plovers Size, Eating behavior, Habitat
● Snowy Plovers Range and Migration, Nesting

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Snowy Plover Color Pattern

Newly hatched Snowy Plovers are covered in natal down. Their upperparts are creamy or pale buff, mixed with a hint of light gray. The upper parts of these birds are also spotted black and brown. Underparts of younglings are pure white. Other physical features of hatchlings are a distinct white band around the neck and a black line that extends slightly behind the eye.

Juveniles are a little more brightly colored. Their rump, ear coverts, fore neck, mantle, nape, and crown are light drab or drab in color. The tips of their feathers usually have pink-buff edges.

Snowy Plovers also have a plumage that varies in color throughout the world. The Snowy Plovers found in America are the palest. Males have a black band on their forecrown, a white forehead, and the back of their crown is slightly reddish. Their white brows have a black eye band below them. Males also have a completely white collar and a black patch on their shoulders. Just like the juveniles and hatchlings, adult males have pure white underparts.

The color pattern of the females do not differ much, it is just slightly lighter with brown replacing the regions in which the males are a black color. Both males and females have black eyes, dark gray legs, and black bills.

Description and Identification

One of the species that is similar to Snowy Plovers is the Piping Plover. Alike to Snowy Plovers, these birds also have pale upperparts. Although Piping Plovers have similarities based on color, these birds are visibly larger. They also have shorter, thicker bill, and orange legs that contract the dark gray legs of Snowy Plovers. During summer the orange base of the bill of Piping Plovers can also distinguish these birds from Snowy Plovers, birds with all-black bills year-round.

Snowy Plovers also resemble other species of birds such as Collared Plovers, Lesser Sandplovers, Greater Sandplovers, Wilson’s Plovers, and Semipalmated Plovers. You can distinguish Collared Plovers from their slightly smaller size and the lack of the characteristic hind-neck collar of Snowy Plovers. Collared Plovers also have darker
upperparts and yellow legs.

Semipalmated Plovers are much larger, and some parts of their body are significantly darker. Wilson’s Plovers are also similarly darker and larger. The similarities between Snowy Plovers, Lesser Sandplovers, and Greater Sandplovers are greater, but these species can easily be distinguished from Snowy Plovers by observing the difference in range. The only physical difference between these two birds is that the Sandplovers do not have the white hind-neck collar possessed by Snowy Plovers.

Snowy Plover Song

The first sound that comes from Snowy Plover hatchlings is a constant peep that starts after 2 days. This is a call that is usually used when the hatchlings are isolated from the parents, or if they predict imminent danger.

During the breeding season, adult Snowy Plovers use a minimum of 3 primary calls. One of the most common ones of these is the “purrt” call. This call can be used by either males or females while flying, while nesting, and while they are in the presence of their mates. It is also used when these birds conflict with other Plovers that have disregarded the boundaries of their territories, and sometimes after. This call is used in most situations that hold importance for these birds.

Another popular call is the “towheet” or “turwheit” call. This call is mostly used by the males when they are unmated, or when they are foraging around in the absence of females. The “towheet” call is also quite common when these birds are displaying aggressive behavior, or are observing the predation of their eggs. Both sexes might use this call when a predator is destructing their nest. This call is also used in other situations in which these birds perceive any kind of threat. Basically, males tend to also use this call casually, whereas females only use it when they perceive a threat. When females make this call it is also hoarser and quieter.

The third call that is common is the churr call. This call is not repeated often, and females usually do not use it. Males use this call during aggressive encounters with other plovers while defending their broods or their territories. This call is also used when the male is performing courtship activities such as debris tossing. In agonistic encounters or confrontations, male Snowy Plover generally makes this call while standing in an upright position.

Female Snowy Plovers only use the churr call when they are confronting birds of other species or other Snowy Plovers that are coming too close to their hatchlings or nests. Another call used by Snowy Plovers is the “ti” call. This call is only used during the non-breeding season when these birds sense a disturbance while roosting. During the breeding season, Snowy Plovers make calls throughout the day, but in other seasons they only vocalize in the presence of daylight. These birds spend a lot of time on the ground, most of their vocalizing is from the ground. Although it is rarer, these birds make all their breeding calls in flight.

Snowy Plover Size

Snowy Plovers are small waders that are 5.9-6.7 inches long with a wingspan between 13.4-17 inches. On average, these birds weigh between 1.1-2 ounces.

Snowy Plover Behavior

Snowy Plovers are ground foragers that sleep with their heads and bill tucked under their body feathers. It is typical for them to stand on one leg while sleeping, this behavior is especially common during winters.

Preening, head-scratching and bathing are some of the behaviors by these birds. They also stretch one wing or leg at a time.

Both male and female Snowy Plovers are active in defending their nesting territory. They protect their territory by engaging in behaviors such as fighting, chasing, and posturing. Snowy Plovers fight by flying or running toward the intruder. Males are more aggressive than females. If broods are in danger, males will generally engage in fights. If a Snowy Plover’s own territory is threatened, they might invade the territory of another Snowy Plover. One interesting behavior displayed by them during a fight is one male pulling on the tail feathers of the other male and attempting to spin him around in circles.

Although Snowy Plovers are territorial during the breeding season, they are quite social during winter. They can form mixed flocks that can contain up to 300 individuals. During the breeding season, they only gather around others when they gather at small ponds near the nesting site. At this spot, these birds drink, bathe, and feed. Several vocalizations can be observed in these spots, it can be assumed that these social interactions hold importance
for these birds.

Some common predators of Snowy Plovers are Peregrine Falcons, Northern Harriers, feral cats, and red foxes. Their eggs are often predated by red foxes, California Gulls, American Crows, Fish Crows, ghost crabs, and possums.

Snowy Plover Diet

Snowy Plovers mostly consume aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates to survive. Their diet varies according to the region. Common prey in the Pacific Coast includes polychaetes, sand hoppers, ostracods, flies, beetles, clams, tanadacians, and hoppers. The food consumed in habitats such as freshwater ponds can include moths, beetles,
lepidopteran caterpillars, and flies.

The major foods consumed in the Great Basin are beetles, flies, brine shrimp, and hemipterans. Food in the salty flats of the Great Plains consists of beetles, flies, grasshoppers, and lepidopterans.

Common foraging sites for these birds are tide flats, salt flats, salt ponds, and beaches. When foraging at beaches, they collect food from kelp, marine-mammal carcasses, and sand surfaces. These birds mostly run towards their prey to catch them.

Snowy Plover Habitat

Sand beaches are the most common habitat for Snowy Plovers. They mostly forage on mudflats especially during the time after the breeding season. Other areas that these birds visit or inhabit are inland steppes, sand deserts, tidal flats, salt flats, and sandy rivers. These birds can live in regions with abundant vegetation, as well as in areas with very sparse vegetation.

Range and Migration

Snowy Plovers breed on most continents. They are common in North America and the coasts of Central America and the islands in the Caribbean. These birds also commonly breed on the western coast and the Humboldt Current coast in South America. They also breed in the interiors of Eurasia, and the coasts of Northern Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Snowy Plover Lifecycle

The pair formation times of Snowy Plovers vary geographically. The region in which pairing is the latest is the northern Great Basin. Courtship and nest-building happen together as scraping is an important courtship activity, and nests cannot be built without scraping. Commonly Snowy Plovers raise around 2 broods per year, but sometimes they may also raise 3 broods. Females usually abandon the nest after the eggs hatch. Hatchlings generally leave the nest on the same day as they hatch.

Snowy Plovers usually lay 2-6 eggs which need to be incubated for 26-33 days. The average length of an egg is between 1.1-1.3 inches, and the average width is between 0.8-0.9 inches.

Nesting

Snowy Plovers scrape the ground during courtship to make a depression for their nests. This depression is usually on dry ground, and it is lined with mud chips, vegetation, shell fragments, pebbles, and skeletons of invertebrates.

Anatomy of a Snowy Plover

These small waders have long and slender bills. Males might have longer wings, tarsi, and tails than females. Data about the same is not conclusive.

Final Thoughts

Snowy Plovers are marvelous little waders that are a delight to spot on the ground. These birds are a sight one can still enjoy today as their population is still surviving, but if enough importance is not given to protecting their habitats, their population can decline rapidly.

Ornithology

Bird Watching Academy & Camp Subscription Boxes

At the Bird Watching Academy & Camp we help kids, youth, and adults get excited and involved in bird watching. We have several monthly subscription boxes that you can subscribe to. Our monthly subscription boxes help kids, youth, and adults learn about birds, bird watching, and bird conservation.

Bird Watching Binoculars for Identifying Snowy Plovers

The most common types of bird watching binoculars for viewing Snowy Plovers are 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. Bird Watching Academy & Camp sells really nice 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. You can view and purchase them here.

Snowy Plover Stickers

Stickers are a great way for you to display your love for bird watching and the Snowy Plover. We sell a monthly subscription sticker pack. The sticker packs have 12 bird stickers. These sticker packs will help your kids learn new birds every month.

Bird Feeders ForSnowy Plovers

There are many types of bird feeders. Bird feeders are a great addition to your backyard. Bird feeders will increase the chances of attracting birds drastically. Both kids and adults will have a great time watching birds eat at these bird feeders. There are a wide variety of bird feeders on the market and it is important to find the best fit for you and your backyard.

Bird HousesForSnowy Plovers

There are many types of bird houses. Building a bird house is always fun but can be frustrating. Getting a bird house for kids to watch birds grow is always fun. If you spend a little extra money on bird houses, it will be well worth every penny and they’ll look great.