Western Snowy Plovers

Learn more about this threatened shorebird

Western Snowy Plovers on the beach. Photo: Mike Baird/bairdphotos.com

Audubon California and local Audubon chapters are devoted to the protection and recovery of the Western Snowy Plover, a small, rare, and threatened shorebird that makes its home on certain beaches on the Pacific coast.

Our goal is to provide a comprehensive resource for information, education and community involvement. For the public, we hope to encourage people to learn about plovers and how they can help save them and their habitat. For public agencies, organizations and landowners involved with plover recovery, we aim to promote communication and partnerships that will make recovery efforts more effective.

About the Western Snowy Plover
Western Snowy Plover

About the Western Snowy Plover

A little background about this threatened shorebird.

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10 Steps to Share the Shore
Western Snowy Plover

10 Steps to Protect Snowy Plovers Chicks at the Beach

Support the recovery of this beloved threatened bird

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Volunteer to Help the Western Snowy Plover
Western Snowy Plover

Volunteer to help the Western Snowy Plover

You can help this threatened shorebird at a beach near you.

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Western Snowy Plover Population Status and Recovery
Western Snowy Plover

Status and Recovery

View the status of the species and the USFWS recovery plan for the Western Snowy Plover.

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Western Snowy Plover Maps
Western Snowy Plover

Western Snowy Plover - local resources

Information about beaches and Western Snowy Plovers.

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Educational Resources and Lesson Plans
Western Snowy Plover

How to Teach Kids about Plovers

Education resources make it easy to teach others about the Western Snowy Plover.

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How to Report Banded Western Snowy Plovers
Western Snowy Plover

How to Report Banded Plover Sightings

Reporting sightings can help conservation efforts.

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Western Snowy Plover

Downloadable beach signs

These signs were created by children who, after learning about snowy plovers, used their art and creative talents to encourage the public to "share the shore" and do their part to help protect plovers.

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Western Snowy Plovers: The gift
Western Snowy Plover

The Gift

An essay on Snowy Plovers by Rosemary Flamion

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Youth from Morro Coast Audubon created the video below about the Western Snowy Plover.

Learn more about the Snowy Plover and other shorebirds on our beaches.

Snowy Plover

Latin:  Charadrius nivosus

Illustration for Snowy Plover

Whimbrel

Latin:  Numenius phaeopus

Illustration for Whimbrel

Sanderling

Latin:  Calidris alba

Illustration for Sanderling

Western Sandpiper

Latin:  Calidris mauri

Illustration for Western Sandpiper

How you can help, right now