Western Snowy Plover, The Threatened Bird, Nesting At The Beaches In Los Angeles Area

partha das

May 10, 2017 03:23 AM EDT

The beaches along Los Angeles area discover the presence of the threatened bird western snowy plover. A rare incident that takes place first time in nearly seven decades. 

Phys.org reported that nests of the rare shorebird, western snowy plover, were discovered last month at some popular beaches in the U.S. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, nests of these small birds were noticed at Santa Monica Beach, Malibu Lagoon State Beach. The presence of this shorebird was also observed at the Dockweiler State Beach.

Biologists have already taken initiatives to protect this rare western snowy plover bird. Chris Dellith, a famous biologist, utters significantly about the comeback these rare birds. It is a real fact that this shorebird is trying to build their nests against all odds. Dellith opines that cooperation from the beachgoers is essential to provide sufficient space to this snowy plovers.

Proper cooperation and space can help the western snowy plovers to build their nest safely and to raise their young. This rare subspecies of the snowy plover mainly use the county beaches of Los Angeles for roosting in winter. Reports say the active nest of this threatened bird was last seen in 1949 at the Manhattan Beach.

The western snowy plovers choose coastal beaches, gravel bars, dry salt ponds as their best destination to nest. These shorebirds always prefer a wide area of beach that must be flat and open for resting, Aquarium Of The Pacific stated. The flat and open areas help them to locate the approaching of the potential predators. These threatened birds reach maturity just one year after the hatching and their nesting season are from the early March to the late September.

 The western snowy plover is a 6-inch shorebird that has dark patches on the back. Rapid loss of habitat, the growth of human population and the increasing trend of predation have reduced the number of this threatened bird. They were already listed under the important Endangered Species Act in 1993.

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Webcam captures secrets of endangered birds

Live stream set up in Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve will help experts study the snowy plover and California least tern.

By Anthony Clark Carpio

March 20, 2013 | 3:34 p.m.

He didn't expect to be staring at his computer screen for hours on end, but Brian Pavloff caught himself doing just that.

Pavloff, president of Variable Speed Solutions in Huntington Beach, had just finished working on a web camera project for the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. Even before it started broadcasting live online on March 11, he couldn't help but stop and stare at his screen.

"I never watch webcams in any length. And then after this project, all of a sudden I find it sitting next to me at night and I can't look away and I'm constantly going back to it," he said. "It's gotten to the point where my wife is telling me, 'Get off the webcam!' And I tell her that I'm only looking at birds."

The birds he's looking at are the western snowy plover and in a month's time, he will be also be looking at the California least tern. They are listed as two of the state's endangered bird species.

And for the first time, these birds will be under the careful watch of a camera, recording all of their nesting habits until the summer. The footage will then be used by researchers and universities to come up with better ways to help these birds get off the endangered species list, said Jayson Ruth, a board member of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust.

"It's fabulous for people all over the world that are interested in these endangered birds," said Mayor Connie Boardman, who is also a board member of the land trust.

Ruth, who is also a science teacher at Huntington Beach High School, has spearheaded this project from the beginning and after seven months has seen it go from an idea to reality.

"It's the first of its kind. Nobody's ever filmed long-term studies of the plovers or the terns," Ruth said. "It's not just a nest camera; it's really a nest site. We're filming an entire colony. We have the remote capability to film the nesting sites. We can zoom in on a nest when they form."

Continued:  http://www.hbindependent.com/news/tn-hbi-0321-bolsa-chica-20130320,0,1521041.story

NAVY TO RESTORE DUNE HABITAT FOR RARE BIRDS

By U-T San Diego 12:01 A.M.MARCH 5, 2013Updated9:42 P.M.MARCH 4, 2013

CORONADO — The Navy aims to restore nine acres of dune habitat along Silver Strand Highway during the next three years to improve habitat for two species of sensitive shorebirds.

The areas targeted for replanting supported 669 nests of federally endangered California Least Terns and 53 nests of federally threatened Western Snowy Plover in 2012, said Tiffany Shepherd, wildlife biologist for the Coronado Naval Base.

The dune restoration will include removing invasive ice plant and planting native dune flora, including sand verbena, beach bur, beach evening primrose and beach morning glory, Shepherd said.

Removing ice plant and restoring native flowers will open up space where terns and plovers can place their camouflaged eggs in small nest scrapes in the sand. Those actions are also expected to stabilize the dunes.

The entire Coronado Naval Base supported 1,078 tern nests and 146 plover nests last year, making it one of the last remaining dune ecosystems in the region.

Throughout Southern California coastal dunes have been lost to urbanization, leaving sensitive animal and plant species dependent on vanishing habitat, she said.

“Removing invasive species from the site and planting native species will protect and enhance the biodiversity of an ecosystem that already supports many native species, including several threatened and endangered species,” Shepherd said.

The work is being done under a cooperative agreement between the Navy and San Diego State University’s Soil Ecology and Restoration Group.

The dune restoration will include installation of drip-irrigation systems, protective cones and wire cages for 12 to 18 months to prevent animals from eating the new plants.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/mar/05/tp-navy-to-restore-dune-habitat-for-rare-birds/

Threatened bird on the rebound

Score one for the western snowy plover.

The threatened shorebird had a strong year on the Oregon coast, where wildlife managers tallied 315 nests and 173 fledged chicks. The numbers were up slightly from last year, continuing a generally positive trend.

“This was our best nesting season ever in Oregon since we began monitoring in 1990, so we’re feeling really good,” said Cindy Burns, a Siuslaw National Forest wildlife biologist assigned to the Central Coast Ranger District and Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

“There were some nesting sites that did not do well, but the majority of sites did really well on fledgling chicks.”

Measuring about 6 inches long, the western snowy plover is a brown, black and white shorebird that lays its eggs in open sand. The bird’s Pacific Coast population was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1993.

Since then, protection efforts have helped the plover’s numbers bounce back in many parts of its range, including coastal Oregon. This year’s tally of 290 adult plovers is the highest since monitoring began and includes an estimated 231 breeding birds.

Burns credits the upward trend in large part to measures such as fencing off nesting areas, educating the public and controlling predators such as crows, ravens and, in some areas, red foxes. Mild weather has also played a role.

“It’s probably a combination of all those things together, plus Mother Nature giving the birds a break,” she said.

Continued:  http://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/threatened-bird-on-the-rebound/article_6a285294-2a05-11e2-bd42-001a4bcf887a.html