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Our guest writer, Carleton Eyster, an Avian Ecologist with Point Blue Conservation Science and Avocet Research Association (ARA), has been on the front lines of protecting Western Snowy Plovers in the San Francisco Bay Area for years. In Part I, Carleton shared how vulnerable Snowy Plover eggs came into care at Bird Rescue. Here, he explores creative solutions to protect these birds and keep them from needing rescue in the first place.
Protecting Threatened Species in a Unique Habitat
This year, biologists with ARA monitored Snowy Plovers at Montezuma and Novato Baylands and implemented measures to boost chick survival in the North Bay. Novato Baylands and Point Reyes National Seashore remain a testing ground for nest protection strategies highlighted in Part I.
Ongoing monitoring will guide how North Bay wetlands support breeding shorebirds, including Snowy Plovers, as restoration evolves. Over the past three years, roughly a dozen breeding Snowy Plovers at Novato Baylands have successfully raised over two dozen juveniles. The site now supports 20 or more plovers, a meaningful gain for a species with fewer than 2,000 individuals left in California.
Although Novato and Montezuma are currently the only regularly occupied breeding sites in the North Bay, biologists are finding Snowy Plovers using a variety of micro-habitats across marshes and bayshore. These wetlands are dynamic, shifting with tides, rainfall, and restoration progress. Snowy Plovers favor early stage wetlands and are well adapted to relocate as conditions change, similar to their behavior in beach and dune environments.
Nesting Challenges and Creative Solutions
At Montezuma Wetlands, biologists found Snowy Plovers nesting on newly deposited dredge fill meant to create brackish marsh habitat. The early stages of restoration create bare salt panne habitat that attracts nesting plovers. However, unfortunately, the sediment layers can form wide cracks too deep for vulnerable chicks to cross.
To prevent chick mortality in cracked sediment, biologists collected eggs and transferred them to Bird Rescue for safe hatching and care. As the next phase of the Montezuma project approached and the pond was set to flood, the team selected Novato Baylands as the release site.
17 fledglings were released at Novato Baylands, each color-banded for future identification and tracking. Several groups, including ARA, San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory and Point Blue Conservation Science, are tracking plover movements. Their observations reveal important connections between wetlands and coastal sites across the greater Bay Area.
The hope is these young plovers will settle in and breed at the Seashore and Novato Baylands the following year. The longtime collaboration between NPS, PRNSA, and Point Blue is helping threatened Western Snowy Plover populations remain steady throughout the greater Bay Area, and up and down the coast as the birds move.
Conclusion: Partners in Wildlife Responsibility
In a rapidly changing world, Bird Rescue is committed to wildlife responsibility through rehabilitation, conservation, and collaboration. We’re proud to partner with mission-aligned organizations like our guest author Carleton, ARA, NPS, PRNSA, and Point Blue to protect vulnerable species like the Western Snowy Plover.
While our rehabilitation centers provide year-round care along the Pacific Flyway, our impact doesn’t end there. Through multi-lateral partnerships, we reduce risk and improve outcomes for wildlife on a larger scale. From consulting with the Port of Los Angeles Wildlife Impact Mitigation Project to advising CalTrans on cormorant condos during the old Bay Bridge removal, and creating the Elegant Tern Task Force, our team works with public agencies, businesses, and biologists to prevent harm, protect young birds, and support long-term conservation solutions.
If your organization is interested in becoming a Wildlife Responsibility Partner, contact us at partnerships@birdrescue.org to learn more.