Nebraskaland

50 Nebraskaland • August-September 2021 MIXED BAG By Melissa Panella THREATENED AND ENDANGERED: THE MOUNTAIN PLOVER Some birds just don't behave as one might expect based on their name. The mountain plover (Charadrius montanus) is a perfect example of this: a bird you might envision living at high altitudes in the mountains based on its common name, or perhaps strutting its stuff near water like most other plovers and shorebirds, but instead it nests in mixed- to semiarid shortgrass prairies, in agricultural areas, and sometimes in almost desert-like conditions. It finds suitable habitat in western Nebraska, primarily in Kimball and adjacent counties. Each fall, it migrates to Mexico, the southwestern United States, and prairies along the coast of Texas to overwinter. Mountain plovers are easily overlooked, because the birds and their nests blend in so well with their breeding environment. The male plover uses his feet and chest to excavate a series of shallow, scraped depressions in the ground. He selectively makes them in places he considers prime real estate and may even decorate the scrapes with grass, leaves, and other natural materials he finds nearby. After all his work, a female plover will inspect the selection of nest scrapes. Ultimately, she chooses if the neighborhood offers acceptable amenities to raise a family and if the male plover is a worthy mate. The female may lay a series of clutches of one to four eggs in multiple scrapes. Her male counterparts incubate the clutches, while she incubates one of her own. Because nests located on the ground are quite vulnerable to predation, the adaptation of not putting all her eggs in one "basket" increases the chances of more eggs hatching and young surviving. If a nest scrape is successful in hatching, the chicks will be off to the races as soon as their downy feathers have dried off. Quick little feet attached to long skinny legs help the young fluff balls run and hide in order to escape predators and other dangers. The parent plovers assist them in survival until the fledglings grow out their sturdy flight feathers and become completely self-sufficient. Mountain plovers are a threatened species in Nebraska because much of their grassland habitat has been converted to various agricultural uses. Game and Parks has partnered in the past with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies to build positive relationships with agricultural producers who live and work in areas the plovers use for nesting. This effort raised awareness about the mountain plovers and presented simple steps producers can take to conserve habitat and avoid inadvertently destroying plover nests during regular agricultural practices. This conservation effort helped to preclude the need to add the species to the federal endangered species list. Awareness, appreciation, and conservation are key to saving the mountain plover of the prairie. Melissa J. Panella is a wildlife biologist for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. BOB GRIER, NEBRASKALAND

• Cover