Study to determine if rare plover is on verge of extinction
By Matt Weiser, Sacramento Bee
The bird wears anonymous tan plumage and often tries to blend into a crowd. Few people know it visits California, much less spends most of its time here.
The mountain plover has been hiding in plain sight in California for decades. But that’s about to change.
A major new survey starting in January aims to find out just where this rare shorebird spends its time, with the goal of figuring out once and for all if it merits protection as an endangered species.
The Audubon Society, working under a $35,000 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will conduct the survey Jan. 20 through 24 at many locations in California, including the Central Valley.
Volunteers are needed to help.