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Presidio of San FranciscoSunset over Lands End from World War II Memorial
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Presidio of San Francisco
Snowy Plover
(Charadrius alexandrinus)
 
Snowy Plover
Will Elder, NPS
Snowy plover at Crissy Field. Colored leg bands allow tracking without capture.
 

Natural History: The Snowy Plover forages at sand beach wash zones by running and pecking to scare up small invertebrates and fish. May be loosely colonial.

General Distribution: In the Presidio, this species can be found in tidal areas.

Frequency: This species is rare in the winter, spring and fall. It is absent in the summer. The Pacific Coast population of this species is federally listed as endangered.

Identifying Characteristics: The Snowy Plover is a small shorebird with a short bicolor beak (except in winter when it is all dark), pale gray above and white below with a dark band on the sides of the neck.

Presidio Birds main page

Grave marker in the Presidio pet cemetery  

Did You Know?
Though the majority of animals buried in the Presidio pet cemetery are dogs and cats, there are also parakeets, canaries, pigeons, macaws, rabbits, hamsters, rats, lizards, goldfish, and mice.

Last Updated: February 23, 2008 at 17:21 EST