Birds of Quivira – Snowy Plover

One has to love a plover.  These birds are often the only obvious sign of life in some pretty rough places.  Adorable little fluff balls, Snowy Plovers can be found on salt flats and beaches on the pacific and gulf coasts as well as deep into the Caribbean.  There are also populations that nest inland, such as the ones we encountered in central Kansas.  I was quite fortunate to find these birds on salt flats in Kansas as well as Puerto Rico within a month apart… 🙂

Steve and I encountered somewhere in the neighborhood of 3-5 active nests during our early May visit to Quivira.  Unfortunately, no chicks decided to hatch while we were there.  It was difficult to leave without seeing the little chicks.

Most populations of Snowy Plover are doing well, relative to other Plover species.  This inland nesting population is the only population that does any real migrating, coastal populations typically stick to one area of coast.

The little guy above is hiking through some of the salt tolerant vegetation that dominate these salt flat habitats.

Steve and I were tickled by the ability of these birds to live and work in constant 30-40 mph winds.  Facing into the wind, the bird on its nest pictured above documents just that.  We noted that when the parents left the nest, the eggs were placed such that they did not budge in the wind, although I am sure they lose heat quickly in such circumstances.  Another one of my favorites… 😉

Thanks for your visit.

OZB
email: handsomeozarkbillyboy@gmail.com