Mountain plover

The Mountain Plover is 8 to 9.5 inches long and weighs about 3.7 ounces . In appearance it is typical of Charadrius plovers, except that unlike most, it has no band across the breast. The upperparts are sandy brown and the underparts and face are whitish. There are black feathers on the forecrown and a black stripe from each eye to the bill ; otherwise the plumage is plain. The Mountain Plover is much quieter than its more familiar relative the Killdeer. Its calls are variable, often low-pitched trilled or gurgling whistles. In courtship it makes a sound much like a far-off cow mooing.

The Mountain plover is classified as Near Threatened (NT), is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.

The Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus) is a medium-sized ground bird in the plover family (Charadriidae). It is misnamed, as it lives on level land. Unlike most plovers, it is usually not found near bodies of water or even on wet soil; it prefers dry habitat with short grass (usually due to grazing) and bare ground. More

Mountain Plover Printer friendly versionPrinter friendly version Species of Special Concern Charadrius montanus - Mountain Plover being tagged, credit Tyler BaskfieldDescription: Colorado is the primary breeding ground for the mountain plover, more than half of the world's population nests in the state. Despite their name, mountain plovers do not breed in the mountains or the shore, instead, they prefer shortgrass prairies. The plovers are about eight to 9. More

The mountain plover (Charadrius montanus) is a member of the group of birds called shorebirds that are usually found along the edges of water areas. It is an unusual shorebird since it spends its entire life avoiding water. The mountain plover is a Great Plains native that breeds on the arid shortgrass prairie from northern Montana to southern New Mexico and winters in California, Texas and Mexico. Since 1837, it has been reported from 23 states, Canada and Mexico. More

A native of the short-grass prairie, the Mountain Plover is a dull-colored shorebird of open, dry areas. Despite its name, it breeds in the high tablelands, not the mountains. More

Despite its name, the Mountain Plover is actually a resident of arid plains and prairies, rather than mountains.This unwary species is often quite approachable, a trait which has proven most unfortunate over the past century and a half.When intruded upon, the Mountain Plover will often choose to run rather than fly.A disturbed bird may simply crouch low to the ground, relying, for better or worse, upon the disguise of its earthy colored plumage to avoid detection. More

Mountain Plover is a grassland shorebird species endemic to the western Great Plains and the Colorado Plateau. It has experienced extensive historical loss of habitat and significant population declines since the 1970s. More

The Mountain Plover is much quieter than its more familiar relative the Killdeer. Its calls are variable, often low-pitched trilled or gurgling whistles. In courtship it makes a sound much like a far-off cow mooing. It breeds in the high plains of North America from extreme southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan to northern New Mexico and the Texas panhandle, as well as an isolated site in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. More

believes that the mountain plover is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range unless actions are taken now to reverse the decline in population. While there is not an immediate threat of extinction, several factors were identified that may have caused the decline, and which are likely to continue in the future. More

of the mountain plover and its habitat is a warning that the replacement of many native grasslands with urban development, as well as some specific grazing and farming practices, are hindering the survival of the short-grass prairie. The mountain plover is one of only nine birds unique to the short-grass prairie environment. It is about the size of a killdeer, but unlike other plovers, it is not found near water. The mountain plover is a full species, and there are no recognized sub-species. More

Mountain Plovers but where breeding has not yet been documented (P), and locations with apparently suitable habitat for Mountain Plovers that have not been surveyed (S). Information courtesy of Craig J. Knowles. - Keys to management include providing short, sparse grasslands of adequate size. Mixed-grass areas can be made suitable for breeding Mountain Plovers by preserving large prairie dog (Cynomys spp.) towns and, in some situations, implementing heavy grazing. More

Mountain Plover in Nebraska Mountain Plover Nest Marking Playa Wetlands of E. More

regarding Mountain Plover management in the revised Great Divide Resource Management Plan (RMP). I have studied breeding Mountain Plovers in Montana since 1991, have surveyed for Mountain Plovers across much of their present breeding range, and have published and continue to publish the results of my on-going plover research in the peer-reviewed literature. The Mountain Plover is a local and declining bird of the western Great Plains and is currently under review for Threatened status under the U. S. More

Mountain Plover: Breeds in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas Panhandle east to Nebraska. Spends winters from central California and southern Arizona southward into Mexico. One of the few shorebirds that lives in dry regions away from water, preferring shortgrass prairie and dry lowland areas; often found on grassy or bare dirt fields. More

Mountain Plover in breeding plumage Mountain Plover in breeding plumage Photo More

The summer range of the Mountain Plover stretches across the Great Plains region, from Canada to Texas. Most breeding occurs in Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado. Up to 85% of the total population is thought to winter in California's Imperial and San Joaquin valleys, with smaller numbers spending the winter in Arizona, southern Texas and northern Mexico. The bird's range has been decreasing. The species no longer breeds in many areas where it was once found, particularly in the eastern and southern portions of its range. More

The mountain plover is about nine inches in height, has long legs, and is sandy-brown in coloration. Breeding adults have black forecrowns, white foreheads and wing stripes, and a thin, black eyeline. Insectivores, they feed mostly on grasshoppers. The mountain plover is misnamed, as it lives on level land. Unlike most plovers, it is usually not found near bodies of water or even on wet soil. More

Mountain plover sitting on nest Mountain plover sitting on nestPrint factsheet Facts - Synonyms: Eupoda montanus Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Aves Order Charadriiformes Family Charadriidae Genus Charadrius (1) Size More

Around late July, Mountain Plovers leave their breeding range for a period of post-breeding wandering around the southern Great Plains. Little is known about their movements at this time, although they're regularly seen around Walsh, Colorado and on sod farms in central New Mexico. By early November, most move southward and westward to their wintering grounds. Spring migration is apparently direct and non-stop. Foraging It feeds mostly on insects and other small arthropods. More

* Mountain Plovers in the CDOW grassland plan (pdf) * Mountain Plover Species Profile Research > Birds > Mountain Plover Mountain Plover Printer friendly versionPrinter friendly version Transmitter Impact on Mountain Plover Chicks Investigating the breeding ecology of plovers with transmitters - Mountain Plover chick with transmitter. More

Formerly widespread, the Mountain Plover has declined greatly in the last 100 years, largely due to conversion of native prairies to croplands. Once widespread in the dry tablelands of the western Great Plains and Colorado Plateau, including parts of Kansas and South Dakota where it is no longer found, nearly half its current population breeds in Phillips County, Montana, and the “stronghold” of Weld County, Colorado; its remaining population breeds very locally elsewhere in its range. It is somewhat colonial during breeding. More

Mountain Plover - Illustration by George Maleski Mountain Plover Charadrius montanus The mountain plover is a migratory bird that winters in Arizona. It is a small bird (seven inches) that resembles a killdeer. The winter plumage is light brown with a lighter colored breast. More

Mountain plovers are rare in the upper Salinas Valley and are occasional vagrants along the north coast of California. Individuals have been recorded as far north as Humboldt Bay and migrants have been reported occasionally in the southeast desert regions. They formerly wintered in the Santa Clara Valley, and, rarely, on coastal plains east of San Francisco Bay. Although reported as an abundant winter visitor on some of the Channel Islands in the past, they now occur there rarely or irregularly. More

The mountain plover is a migratory breed that winters in Arizona. It is a small bird (seven inches) that resembles a killdeer. The winter plumage is light brown with a lighter colored breast. The bill is black and the feet are a yellow-brown color. Mountain plovers seek dry, disturbed, or intensively grazed, open, flat tablelands. More

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Mountain Plover Nest Conservation Program Partnerships Scroll up Scroll down Native Grass and Forb Planting Grassland/ Grazing mgmt Invasive Weed Treatment Playa Restoration Why? Scroll up Scroll down Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands Western Mexico Sierra Madre Oriental Conservation Birding Tours Expand Conservation Birding Tours Status Assessment More

Historically, the range of mountain plover (Charadrius montanus) was widespread in the United States and Mexico. Their breeding range extended throughout the Great Plains and southwestern United States in shortgrass prairie habitat dominated by herbivores such as prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.), bison (Bison bison), and pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana). Much of the eastern part of the historic breeding range no longer support mountain plover with extinctions in Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota (Knopf 1996). More