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Newport Field Office
Western Snowy Plover
Key Information on the Oregon Coast Population

Coastal Nesting Areas

There are eight main nesting areas for the western snowy plover on the Oregon Coast.

Five nesting areas occur on federal lands managed by the USDA Forest Service. These sites are located at Baker Beach/Sutton Beach, Siltcoos Estuary, Oregon Dunes Overlook, Tahkenitch Estuary, and Tenmile Estuary.

Another nesting area is located on the Coos Bay North Spit and is managed cooperatively by the Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Army Corps of Engineers.

One nesting area is at New River Spit which is comprised of federal, county and private lands and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department manages one nesting area at Bandon State Natural Area.

Photo - Snowy plover nesting beach (Courtesy of Kathleen Castelein).

Size of the Coastal Population

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has coordinated a breeding window survey of the Oregon coastal population each June from 1978 to 2001. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been coordinating the survey since 2002. Breeding window surveys estimate the number of birds seen, during a one day census, in May.

The Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center has monitored breeding and non-breeding snowy plovers on the Oregon coast since 1990 with funding provided by state and federal agencies. These counts are cumulative over the entire nesting season.

Photo - Western snowy plover on the beach (Courtesy of Dave Pitkin, USFWS).

 

Breeding Season Population Estimates

In 2007, Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center observed 181 to 184 adult snowy plovers; a minimum of 162 individuals was known to have nested. The adult plover population was the highest estimate recorded since monitoring began in 1990.

Comparison of population estimates of adult western snowy plovers on the Oregon coast during the breeding season, from 1993 to 2007, is based on three different measures of abundance (Lauten et al. 2007).

Year
Estimates

 

 
A
B
C
1993
45
55-61
72
1994
51
67
83
1995
64
94
120
1996
85
110-113
134-137
1997
73
106-110
141
1998
57
75
97
1999
49
77
95-96
2000
no survey
89
109
2001
71
79-80
111-113
2002
71
80
99-102
2003
63
93
102-107
2004
82
120
136-142
2005
100
104
153-158
2006
91
135
177-179
2007
125
162
181-184
 

A - Breeding window survey

B = Estimated number of breeding adults. This number is lower than those in column C because it is an estimate of the number of individual birds thought to be breeding birds.

C = Total number of individual adults (breeding and non-breeding) present during breeding season (includes depredated adults).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of Nests and Fledglings

In 2007, Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center observed 202 nests and 123 fledglings. These are the highest estimates for nests and fledglings recorded since monitoring began in 1990.

In addition to monitoring the population, Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center also finds nests and returns when they hatch to bands chicks. Each nest typically has three eggs and female adult plover can renest up to three times during the breeding season. The table below shows the number of nests and fledglings produced on the Oregon coast between 1990 and 2005 (Lauten et al. 2006).

Year
# Nests # Fledglings
1990
36
3
1991
36
16
1992
36
34
1993
41
36
1994
51
56
1995
76
58
1996
89
47
1997
93
41
1998
78
32
1999
78
54
2000
100
43
2001
111
32
2002
89
31
2003
91
60
2004
117
108
2005
144
78
2006
147
110
2007
202
123
Photo - Snowy plover chick with band (Courtesy of Kathleen Castelein).
Photo - Snowy plover chick, 24 days old (Courtesy of Kathleen Castelein).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Related Documents

Habitat Conservation Plan

Habitat Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement

News Release
(2/26/08)

Frequently Asked Questions

Map of Recovery Areas

Federal Register Notices
Public Comment Period Reopening
(2/26/08)

Habitat Conservation Plan Application
(11/5/07)


News Releases

Plover Nesting Success Highest in 16 Years
(10/4/06)


Western Snowy Plover to Retain Threatened Status
(4/21/06)

Draft Economic Analysis Released for Snowy Plover
(8/16/05)


Facts and Q&A
Pacific Coast Population of Western Snowy Plover
(4/21/06)


Letter to Interested Parties
Proposed Special Rule to Promote Conservation under Section4(d) of the ESA
(April 2006)