Threatened snowy plover chicks successfully nested, fledged in Huntington Beach
Two pairs of threatened Western snowy plovers have nested and successfully fledged four chicks in the 12.4-acre protected area at Huntington State Beach, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
State park biologists found a pair of adult plovers with two chicks in May during routine monitoring for the shorebirds. Two days later, a group of students participating in a beach cleanup found a second plover nest.
Biologists this week reported that all three chicks from the second nest had feathers large enough to fly. One chick from the first nest also fledged.
“Huntington State Beach has not seen this type of Western snowy plovers activity in many years,” Todd Lewis, Orange Coast District superintendent for California State Parks, said in a statement. “The hard work of our natural resource management team and volunteer docents is paying off.”
Biologists and volunteers from the Irvine-based Sea & Sage Audubon Society will continue monitoring the birds.
The federal government classifies Western snowy plovers as threatened because of a loss of habitat and breeding sites caused by human activity and invasive non-native plants.
Vega writes for Times Community News.
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