| Home: Special status species: Western snowy plover: Natural history |
| SPECIAL STATUS SPECIES: WESTERN SNOWY PLOVER (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) NATURAL HISTORY |
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| General |
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| Taxonomy: |
Order:
Charadriiformes; Family Charadriidae. Two subspecies
in the Americas: Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus
(Western); and Charadrius alexandrinus tenuirostris
(Cuban)
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| Appearance: |
Snowy Plovers are
small shorebirds; adults reach a length of 15-17 cm
(6-7”) and an average weight of 42 grams (1.5
oz). Males and females are about the same size. The
adult plumage is pale gray-brown above and white below
with a white hind neck and collar and dark lateral
breast patches, forehead bar and eye patches. They
have a black bill and dark gray to black legs. |
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| Feeding Behavior |
| Overview: |
WSP forage for small invertebrates
in wet or dry sand, beach-cast algae, low foredune
vegetation, and near water seeps in salt pans. Males
may forage up to 8 km away from their nests and adults
with broods have been seen up to 7 km from nest site.3 |
| Prey Items: |
Primarily aquatic
and terrestrial invertebrates including: flies, beetles,
polychaete worms, amphipods, sand hoppers, mole crabs,
and crabs. |
| Method of
Capture: |
WSP are visual foragers
that use a run-stop-peck method of feeding on the
beach. |
Photo: USGS |
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| Reproduction |
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| Overview: |
Snowy Plovers breed in loose
colonies. Old and new pair bonds may begin to be established
in wintering flocks. Courtship behavior observed on
the breeding grounds consists of the male scraping
one or more nest depressions and lining them with
beach debris. He also bows next to the female while
flashing the white on his tail. The male (and female
after a pair bond is formed) will defend the breeding
territory. The female lays eggs in one of the nest
depressions and then both parents incubate the eggs.
The female usually leaves within six days of hatching
to find a new mate and lay a second brood for that
season. Males raise the young. Chicks are precocial
and are capable of foraging near the nest within a
few hours of hatching. |
| Time to Maturity: |
By 1 year; some young breed before
they reach 12 months of age. |
| Longevity: |
~ 3 years, though individuals
have been known to live up to 15 years.2,12
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| Breeding
Season: |
Early March –
late September; beginning earlier at lower latitudes
and later at higher latitudes. |
| Frequency
of Breeding: |
Annual |
| Clutch Size: |
Usually 3 eggs; very
rarely up to 6; cases of more than 3 eggs may involve
two females laying in the same scrape.12 |
| Number of Broods
per Season: |
Multiple broods (more than one
brood in a nesting season usually with a different
partner) are observed in California. Females usually
double brood, though some may triple brood. Most males
double brood (see below). For each nesting attempt,
re-nesting will usually occur within 2-14 days if
a clutch is lost (up to 5 re-nesting attempts may
take place in a given season). |
| Parental
Care: |
Both parents incubate the eggs
with males incubating at night and females during
the day (27 days). The male raises the young until
fledging (~28 days). Late in the season, the female
may help to rear the brood because it is too late
to nest again. |
| Mating
System: |
Serial polygyny
and serial polyandry (both sexes will try to breed
with more than one partner in a season; juvenile males
may not achieve this).18 |
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