News Release

Dramatic Comeback of Threatened Snowy Plover at Point Reyes National Seashore

Date: July 23, 1996
Contact: John Dell'Osso, 415-663-8522 x226

In March of 1993, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service listed the western snowy plover as a federally threatened species. Point Reyes National Seashore has historically been an important nesting and wintering area for snowy plovers but over the past decade the numbers declined precipitously. The cause for the decline was primarily due to predation by ravens.

In 1995, only two chicks hatched from eggs, yet 20 nests were observed with two to three eggs in each of the nests. As recently as 1987, over 70 nests were known to occur along some of Point Reyes' beaches.

With this general decline, staff at Point Reyes National Seashore, in partnership with research biologists from the Point Reyes Bird Observatory (PRBO), began to place fencing around nest sites on stretches of sandy beach. These fencing "exclosures" allow the snowy plover to move in and out freely yet exclude the larger ravens from entering the nest site.

With the additional protection of the exclosures during the 1996 breeding season, nearly 18 chicks hatched!

"What a tremendous success story we have witnessed this breeding season. The National Park Service is doing what it can to ensure the snowy plover does not head to extinction,” said Superintendent Don Neubacher. Neubacher added, "The partnership developed between Seashore staff and PRBO's staff will have a positive effect on monitoring bird species and coming up with strategies to overcome any negative impacts that may have occurred."

-NPS-