On Tuesday, June 19 the San Francisco Chronicle
reports the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Survice deemed 38 square miles of Coastline as critical habitat for the Snowy Plover. The 24,500 acres of protected coastline is in Washington, Oregon and California, common breeding grounds for the small migratory bird. The increased habitat follows as the result of the
Center for Biological Diversity's lawsuit of 2008 which sued over the illegal reduction of habitat in 2005.
The plovers of the Pacific Coast are either permanent residents, or migratory- moving south during the cold months. On the map below, red designates summer nesting, blue winter, and purple either one.
The pocket-sized birds blend in with their sandy habitats, experiencing disruption from beach-goers, vehicles, or dogs. They also experience challenges from macro-issues, like the changing climate, pesticides, and habitat loss.
For an information video, produced for an L.A. High School Classroom,
CLICK HERE.
