A banded Snowy Plover. I reported my “banded bird” sighting to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the USGS let me know that this is a new fledgling from a location called Reservation Road, just north of Fort Ord.

Since 1993, the U.S. Pacific coast population of western snowy plovers has been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. It’s estimated that only about 2,500 western snowy plovers breed along the Pacific Coast from early March to late September. Today, only 28 major nesting areas remain.

Plover nesting areas, which are out in the open in mere divots on sandy beaches, are destroyed as a result of human disturbance, predators and inclement weather. An adult snowy plover scurries away when its nest is approached, and it may be hours before the bird can return. While it’s away, its eggs can be crushed, overheat in the sun or become a meal for a watchful predator.

The snowy plover’s nesting season occurs during the summer months when people visit beaches the most. Human activities, such as walking, jogging, running pets, horseback riding and vehicle use, are key factors in the ongoing decline in breeding sites and populations. Non-native European beachgrass and urban development also contribute to habitat destruction for the threatened snowy plover population.

Snowy PloverMonterey