March 2026 – Maine to Texas and Back to Wisconsin

The snowy plover is among the rarest endemic shorebirds in the Americas. Since 2014, it is listed as “Near Threatened” by the IUCN because of a moderately rapid population decline caused primarily by habitat degradation and human disturbance. At the beginning of the breeding season, males excavate multiple nest scrapes that are advertised to females; one of these scrapes is later selected for breeding. Some females will desert their brood soon after the chicks hatch to re-mate with another male, while their first mate will continue to rear the chicks. Such polygamy is uncommon in birds, and is possibly a strategy to maximize breeding success. (Wikipedia )