Oregon Biodiversity Information Center

Understanding causes of nest failure is important when managing sensitive populations. The Snowy Plover, a ground nesting shorebird, is listed as Threatened along the Oregon coast by USFWS and ODFW. Plover management in Oregon is intensive, and depends on accurate information on productivity and causes of reproductive failure. As part of INR’s breeding season monitoring, we attempt to document all causes of nest failure. However, monitors have difficulty correctly identifying the cause of many nest failures, largely because evidence is obscured by wind or rain in the ephemeral coastal environment. Thus, the largest category of nest failures is ‘unknown’. The lack of information on a large proportion of nests makes adaptive management difficult.