16 Nebraskaland • May 2020
Plovers are migratory shorebirds with short bills and
long bodies that occupy a variety of habitats ranging from
wetlands to shortgrass prairie. Nebraska has seven plover
species that annually occur within our borders. Many people
may only be familiar with two of these species. The first
is the killdeer, a common, ubiquitous and vocal species
that occupies just about any open habitat: wetlands, gravel
parking lots, or even soccer or baseball fields. The other
well-known species is the piping plover. This plover receives
a great deal of attention because of its status as a state and
federally threatened species.
However, the many other plovers, such as the snowy
plover, deserve some attention. The snowy plover's size and
coloration is similar to the piping plover, but rather than
having orange on the legs and bill like the piping plover,
the snowy plover's bare parts are all black. Even if key field
marks are too distant to be observed, the snowy plover's
behavior compared to the deliberative nature of its relative
usually allows for straightforward identification. The snowy
plover's feeding style is spastic and frenetic, as birds dart
across mudflats or open sand chasing invertebrates and
other tasty morsels.
Snowy plovers are found along the Gulf and Pacific coasts,
but they also breed at wetlands in the Intermountain West
and southern Great Plains, including central Kansas. Snowy
plovers are rather rare in Nebraska and mostly occur as an
"overshoot" migrant in spring. The term "overshoot" refers
to individuals that migrate north of, or past, their normal
breeding range.
The most reliable area to find a snowy plover are wetlands
in the Rainwater Basin, but individuals can show up at just
about any waterbody with shore or beach habitat. Most
overshoot migrants are one-day wonders, gone the following
day after they were discovered. Snowy plovers occasionally
nest in the state, especially at Lake McConaughy during
drought years when large expanses of habitat are available.
Small numbers have also colonized islands created for other
nesting birds at Lewis and Clark Lake.
So whether you find a snowy plover spending the summer
in Nebraska or see one for just a day in spring, take a little
extra time to appreciate the unique and quirky nature of this
uncommon plover.
Visit birdsofnebraska.org for more Nebraska bird information.
SNOWY
PLOVER
PHOTO
BY
JOEL
JORGENSEN
THE OTHER PLOVER
By Joel Jorgensen
IN THE FIELD
