Oregon Biodiversity Information Center

We monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity of the federally threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) along the central and south coast of Oregon from 3 April – 14 September 2018. We surveyed and monitored plover activity in a project area that included, from north to south, Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River estuary, the Dunes Overlook, North and South Tahkenitch Creek, Tenmile Creek, Coos Bay North Spit, Bandon Snowy Plover Management Area, New River HRA and adjacent lands, and Floras Lake. Our objectives for the project area in 2018 were to: 1) estimate the size of the adult Snowy Plover population, 2) locate plover nests, 3) determine nest success, 4) implement nest protection as appropriate (e.g. ropes, signs, exclosures),
5) monitor a sample of broods to determine brood fate and plover productivity, and 6) use cameras and observational data to document predator activity at nests.

We estimated the resident number of Snowy Plovers in Oregon at 489 individuals, an increase from the 2017 season. We monitored 490 nests in 2018. Overall apparent nest success was 49%. Nest failures were attributed to corvid depredation, unknown depredation, unknown cause, abandonment, mammalian depredation, one egg nests, overwashing, wind/weather, unknown avian depredation, harrier depredation, infertility, and human caused. We monitored 213 of 256 known broods, and documented a minimum of 316 fledglings. Overall brood success was 81%, fledging success was 49%, and 1.31 chicks fledged per sampled brood.