Snowy Plover

Charadrius alexandrinus and Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus

Also known as:Western Snowy Plover

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

16 cm (6") Uncommon and declining. Sandy beaches, sand flats, alkaline lakes in West.

Small, sparrow-sized plover. Pale brownish-gray upperparts, white underparts. Dark partial neck-ring; white forehead; pointed, black bill; gray legs.

Told from slightly paler Piping Plover by an incomplete dark neck band, a slim black bill and dark ear patch.

A western subspecies, Western Snowy Plover "Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus", is now recognized by the AOU but change in taxonomy is still not completely resolved.

Human activity on beaches is destroying habitat.

Song: low, whistled "chu-weet".

Details in the field

Photo gallery

6 photos

Credit: Laura Gooch

Credit: Jerry Kirkhart

Western Snowy Plover - photo taken February 24.

Credit: USFWS Pacific Southwest Region

Western Snowy Plover - now split as "Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus". Photo taken in California December 16.

Credit: Mike Baird

Credit: Len Blumin

Credit: San Francisco Bay Area National Parks Science and

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

Western Snowy Plovers: Learning to share the beach

Credit: SFNPS Science and Learning

Snowy Plovers

Credit: matthew baker

Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant 1 rule

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Snowy Plover

1 rule

Rule 1 12 criteria confidence 1

What colour were the LEGS or FEET ?: Blue · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?: Uniform color · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Sandpiper-like
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States · Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:571-snowy-plover:1:1 Source: 571 Snowy Plover, row 1