Western Snowy Plover in 2023

This year was a challenging breeding season for Western Snowy Plover. The year started out strong with many chicks hatching early but only about one quarter of chicks survived. Read Snowy Plover Docent Program Manager and park biologist, Matt Lau’s blog posts throughout the 2023 season and check out the adorable chick photos from his updates all season.

A newly banded snowy plover chick from Limantour Spit. August 2023.
Photo credit: NPS/Matt Lau

In 2023, there were 50 total nests found in the breeding season from March to September: 29 hatched and 21 failed. 20 chicks fledged and I hope many of them will stay in the area over the winter and eventually join the growing group of adults who breed in Point Reyes.

For those interested in more detailed statistics, Matt shared an account of the 2023 season with the National Park Service for their monthly newsletter in September. As you can see from the chart below, Limantour was the most productive breeding site with 7 chicks fledged.

I look forward to volunteering in 2023 to help protect the plovers.