12-22-2016

Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus

Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports — NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.The snowy plover is a small wader in the plover bird family, typically about 5-7″ in length. It breeds in Ecuador, Peru, Chile, the southern and western United States and the Caribbean. Long considered to be a subspecies of the Kentish plover, it is now known to be a distinct species.

ITIS Reports — Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.The snowy plover is a small wader in the plover bird family, typically about 5-7″ in length. It breeds in Ecuador, Peru, Chile, the southern and western United States and the Caribbean. Long considered to be a subspecies of the Kentish plover, it is now known to be a distinct species.

FWS Digital Media Library — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Detailed information

Full Name: western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus ssp. nivosus)

Where found: Pacific Coast population DPSâ€”U.S.A. (CA, OR, WA), Mexico (within 50 miles of Pacific coast)

Critical Habitat:N/A

Species Group:Birds

Current listing status

Status	Date Listed	Lead Region	Where Listed
Threatened	03/05/1993	California/Nevada Region (Region 8)	Pacific Coast population DPSâ€”U.S.A. (CA, OR, WA), Mexico (within 50 miles of Pacific coast)

Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2015. Snowy Plover. All About Birds. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Plover/id
Gilligan, J., D. Rogers, M. Smith, and A. Contreras. 1994. Birds of Oregon: status and distribution. Cinclus Publ. McMinnville, OR.
Herman, S. G., J. B. Bulger, and J. B. Buchanan. 1988. The Snowy Plover in southeastern Oregon and western Nevada. J. Field Ornithol. 59:13-21.
Monson, G. and A. R. Phillips. 1981. Annotated checklist of the birds of Arizona. 2nd ed. Univ. of Arizona Press, Tucson.
Page, Gary W., Lynne E. Stenzel, G. W. Page, J. S. Warriner, J. C. Warriner and P. W. Paton. 2009. Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/154
Page, G. W. and L. E. Stenzel. 1981. The breeding status of the Snowy Plover in California. West. Birds 12:1-40.
Paton, P. W. C. and T. C. Edwards, Jr. 1990. Status and nesting ecology of the Snowy Plover at Great Salt Lake-1990. Utah Birds 6:49-66.
Rosenberg, K.V., D. Pashley, B. Andres, P. J. Blancher, G.S. Butcher, W.C. Hunter, D. Mehlman, A.O. Panjabi, M. Parr, G. Wallace, and D. Wiedenfeld. 2014. The State of the Birds 2014 Watch List. North American Bird Conservation Initiative, U.S. Committee. Washington, D.C. 4 pages.
Shuford, W. D., S. Abbott, and T. D. Ruhlen. 2008. Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus). Pages 173-179 in California bird species of special concern. Studies of Western Birds 1. (Shuford, W. D. and T. Gardali, Eds.) Western Field Ornithologists, Camarillo, CA.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2007. Recovery Plan for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus). In 2 volumes. Sacramento, California. xiv + 751 pages.

States/US Territories in which the western snowy plover, Pacific Coast population DPSâ€”U.S.A. (CA, OR, WA), Mexico (within 50 miles of Pacific coast) is known to or is believed to occur: California , Oregon , Washington
US Counties in which the western snowy plover, Pacific Coast population DPSâ€”U.S.A. (CA, OR, WA), Mexico (within 50 miles of Pacific coast) is known to or is believed to occur: View All
USFWS Refuges in which the western snowy plover, Pacific Coast population DPSâ€”U.S.A. (CA, OR, WA), Mexico (within 50 miles of Pacific coast) is known to occur: Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge, Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge, San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge, San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge ... Show All Refuges
Countries in which the the western snowy plover, Pacific Coast population DPSâ€”U.S.A. (CA, OR, WA), Mexico (within 50 miles of Pacific coast) is known to occur: Mexico

Current Listing Status Summary

Status	Date Listed	Lead Region	Where Listed
Threatened	03/05/1993	California/Nevada Region (Region 8)	Pacific Coast population DPSâ€”U.S.A. (CA, OR, WA), Mexico (within 50 miles of Pacific coast)

Species Occurrence

Population(s)

Pacific Coast population DPSâU.S.A. (CA, OR, WA), Mexico (within 50 miles of Pacific coast)

» Federal Register Documents

Federal Register Documents

Showentries

Date	Citation Page	Title
06/19/2012	77 FR 36727 36869	Revised Designation of Critical Habitat for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover; Final Rule
01/17/2012	77 FR 2243 2254	Designation of Critical Habitat and Taxonomic Revision for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover:Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.
05/25/2011	76 FR 30377 30382	Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of Species in California, Nevada, and the Klamath Basin of Oregon
03/22/2011	76 FR 16045 16165	Revised Critical Habitat for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover; Proposed Rule
11/05/2007	72 FR 62485 62486	Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Habitat Conservation Plan for the Western Snowy Plover Along the Oregon Coast
09/24/2007	72 FR 54279 54280	Recovery Plan for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover
02/14/2007	72 FR 7064 7084	Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 58 Species in California and Nevada; Availability of Completed 5-Year Reviews in California and Nevada
06/20/2006	71 FR 35406 35407	Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Special Rule Pursuant to Section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act for the Pacific Coast Distinct Population Segment of the Western Snowy Plover: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.
04/21/2006	71 FR 20625 20636	Proposed Special Rule Pursuant to Section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act for the Pacific Coast Distinct Population Segment of the Western Snowy Plover
04/21/2006	71 FR 20607 20624	12-Month Finding on a Petition to Delist the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover

Showing 1 to 10 of 25 entries

Special Rule Publications

Showentries

Date	Citation Page	Title
04/21/2006	71 FR 20625 20636	Proposed Special Rule Pursuant to Section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act for the Pacific Coast Distinct Population Segment of the Western Snowy Plover

Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries

» Recovery

Current Recovery Plan(s)

Showentries

Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries

Date	Title
05/31/2006	Western Snowy Plover - Pacific Coast Population 5-Year Review

» Critical Habitat

Critical Habitat Spatial Extents

Population(s)

Pacific Coast population DPSâU.S.A. (CA, OR, WA), Mexico (within 50 miles of Pacific coast)

Showentries

Date	Citation Page	Title	Document Type	Status
06/19/2012	77 FR 36727 36869	Revised Designation of Critical Habitat for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover; Final Rule	Final Rule	Final designated
03/22/2011	76 FR 16045 16165	Revised Critical Habitat for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover; Proposed Rule	Proposed Rule	Not Required
09/29/2005	70 FR 56970 57119	Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover; Final Rule	Final Rule	Not Required
12/17/2004	69 FR 75608 75656	Proposed Designation of Critical Habitat for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover; Proposed Rule	Proposed Rule	Not Required
12/07/1999	64 FR 68508 68544	ETWP; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover	Final Rule	Not Required
03/02/1995	60 FR 11768 11809	ETWP; Proposed Designation of Critical Habitat for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover	Proposed Rule	Not Required

Showing 1 to 6 of 6 entries

To learn more about critical habitat please see http://ecos.fws.gov/crithab

» Conservation Plans

Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP) (learn more)

Showentries

HCP Plan Summaries
San Diego Gas & Electric
OR State Parks & Rec Western Snowy Plover HCP
MSCP, County of San Diego Subarea Plan
MSCP, City of San Diego Subarea Plan
MSCP, City of Poway Subarea Plan
MSCP, City of La Mesa Subarea Plan
MSCP, City of Chula Vista Subarea Plan
MHCP, City of Carlsbad Habitat Management Plan
Kern Water Bank
Humboldt Redwood Company (formerly Pacific Lumber, Headwaters)

Showing 1 to 10 of 11 entries

Safe Harbor Agreements (SHA): (learn more)

Showentries

SHA Plan Summaries
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Ormond Beach Property

Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries

» Petitions

Showentries

Petition Title	Date Received by the FWS	Where the species is believed to or known to occur	Petitioner Name	Requested Action	Petition Finding(s)	Active	Petitions Document(s)
Plover, Southeastern snowy (Charadrius alexandrinus tenuirostris) and Piping-wintering pop (Charadrius melodus); List as Endangered with critical habitat	05/09/2000	AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WY, Canada, Mexico	Unknown	Listing: Endangered APA: Designate Critical Habitat		No
Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus); Delist	06/12/2003	CA, OR, WA, Mexico	City of Morro Bay,	Delisting: Original Data in Error - Not a listable entity	90 Day Substantial on 03/22/2004 12 Month Not Warranted on 04/21/2006	No	Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus); Delist
Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus), Pacific Coast population, delist	08/02/2002	CA, OR, WA, Mexico	Surf-Ocean commission	Delisting: Original Data in Error - Not a listable entity	90 Day Substantial on 03/22/2004 12 Month Not Warranted on 04/21/2006	No	petition list of the western snowy plover

Showing 1 to 3 of 3 entries

» Life History

Habitat Requirements

Barren to sparsely vegetated sand beaches, dry salt flats in lagoons, dredge spoils deposited on beach or dune habitat, levees and flats at salt-evaporation ponds, river bars, along alkaline or saline lakes, reservoirs, and ponds. Nests are a natural or scraped depression on dry ground usually lined with pebbles, shell fragments, fish bones, mud chips, vegetation fragments, or invertebrate skeletons.

Food Habits

Terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates are their main food items. Walking and hopping are employed in feeding, as well as several other activities.

Movement / Home Range

The Snowy Plover breeds along the Pacific coast of the U.S., with this range also covering several southwestern states, while wintering along the coasts of the Baja Peninsula, western Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico and Guatemala. Distances of migratory movements are relatively short, with the direction of movement to winter areas being either northward or southward for the Pacific coast breeders, but northeast or southwest for birds breeding in the interior of western North America.

Other

Habitat alteration and increased use of recreational beaches threaten the conservation of this species. Also at risk from sea level rise and stochastic events such as oil spills. The breeding population has likely decreased on the Gulf Coast since late 1800s. This species is on the 2014 State of the Birds Red Watch List, which lists species most in danger of extinction without significant conservation action. For more information about this species, including occurrence, conservation strategies and recovery actions in specific states or regions, refer to the following resource:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2007. Recovery Plan for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus). In 2 volumes. Sacramento, California. xiv + 751 pages. http://www.westernsnowyplover.org/pdfs/WSP%20Final%20RP%2010-1-07.pdf
» Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network. ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world. FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Federal register documents

Date	Citation Page	Title
06/19/2012	77 FR 36727 36869	Revised Designation of Critical Habitat for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover; Final Rule
01/17/2012	77 FR 2243 2254	Designation of Critical Habitat and Taxonomic Revision for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover:Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.
05/25/2011	76 FR 30377 30382	Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of Species in California, Nevada, and the Klamath Basin of Oregon
03/22/2011	76 FR 16045 16165	Revised Critical Habitat for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover; Proposed Rule
11/05/2007	72 FR 62485 62486	Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Habitat Conservation Plan for the Western Snowy Plover Along the Oregon Coast
09/24/2007	72 FR 54279 54280	Recovery Plan for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover
02/14/2007	72 FR 7064 7084	Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 58 Species in California and Nevada; Availability of Completed 5-Year Reviews in California and Nevada
06/20/2006	71 FR 35406 35407	Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Special Rule Pursuant to Section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act for the Pacific Coast Distinct Population Segment of the Western Snowy Plover: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.
04/21/2006	71 FR 20625 20636	Proposed Special Rule Pursuant to Section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act for the Pacific Coast Distinct Population Segment of the Western Snowy Plover
04/21/2006	71 FR 20607 20624	12-Month Finding on a Petition to Delist the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover

Recovery

To learn more about critical habitat please see http://ecos.fws.gov/crithab

Date	Title	Plan Action Status	Plan Status
08/13/2007	Final Recovery Plan for the Western Snowy Plover	View Implementation Progress	Final

Date	Citation Page	Title
04/21/2006	71 FR 20625 20636	Proposed Special Rule Pursuant to Section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act for the Pacific Coast Distinct Population Segment of the Western Snowy Plover

Date	Title	Plan Action Status	Plan Status
08/13/2007	Final Recovery Plan for the Western Snowy Plover	View Implementation Progress	Final

Date	Citation Page	Title	Document Type
05/25/2011	76 FR 30377 30382	Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of Species in California, Nevada, and the Klamath Basin of Oregon	Notice 5-year Review, Initiation
09/24/2007	72 FR 54279 54280	Recovery Plan for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover	Notice Final Recovery Plan Availability
02/14/2007	72 FR 7064 7084	Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 58 Species in California and Nevada; Availability of Completed 5-Year Reviews in California and Nevada	Notice 5-year Review, Completion
08/16/2005	70 FR 48094 48098	Proposed Designation of Critical Habitat for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover: notice of availability of draft economic analysis.	Notice Doc. Availability
03/22/2004	69 FR 13326 13329	90-Day Finding on a Petition to Delist the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover and Initiation of a 5-Year Review	Notice 5-year Review Notice 90-day Petition Finding, Substantial
08/14/2001	66 FR 42676 42677	Notice of Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover for Review and Comment	Notice Recovery Plan Avail.

Back to full archive

Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus

Species Occurrence

Population(s)

» Federal Register Documents

» Recovery

» Critical Habitat

Critical Habitat Spatial Extents

Population(s)

» Conservation Plans

» Petitions

» Life History

Habitat Requirements

Food Habits

Movement / Home Range

Other

» Other Resources