Western Snowy Plover with Triple Stripe Bands

The Pacific coast population of western snowy plovers breeds on coastal beaches from southern Washington to southern Baja California, Mexico. Plovers lay their eggs in shallow depressions in sandy or salty areas that generally do not have much vegetation. Because the sites they choose are in loose sand or soil, nesting habitat is constantly changing under the influence of wind, waves, storms, and encroaching plants. Image taken from USFWS Pacific Region Flickr page.