Western Snowy Plover Recovery at Eden Landing Ecological Reserve

The Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) population remains threatened throughout their Pacific coast range. Studies show that plover productivity in the San Francisco Bay is essential for maintaining the stability of the rangewide population. However, plovers in this area are affected by high predation pressure and limited areas with suitable habitat. Available managed pond panne habitat has been reduced due to conversion to tidal marsh habitat by the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project (Restoration Project). While managed panne habitat is provided specifically for plovers in South San Francisco Bay, it is important to monitor spatial and temporal redistribution of plovers in the Restoration Project area, particularly at Eden Landing Ecological Reserve. This will ensure that recovery goals are being met and there are no long-term, adverse effects on plovers from on-going tidal marsh restoration actions. The project will support San Francisco Bay plovers by tracking their breeding success, identifying and controlling key predators, and fostering community support for their recovery through outreach and education. Data collected by this project will be used to advise recovery project planning, management, and conservation actions of the federally threatened Western Snowy Plover. As tidal marsh restoration continues to change the San Francisco Bay ecosystem, this project will generate nesting density and habitat enhancement data essential for supporting multiple shorebird species reliant on salt ponds to breed, and millions of shorebirds reliant on them to winter. This project would work towards plover recovery goals specific to the San Francisco Bay, while also contributing to the stability and recovery of the rangewide plover population.