Western Snowy Plover Monitoring in the San Francisco Bay Annual Report 2015

The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO), Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (HARD), and East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) form the Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) Recovery Unit 3. The goal of this collaboration is to survey managed ponds and other habitats for Western Snowy Plovers, track breeding success, and contribute to the management and recovery of this species in the San Francisco Bay. During the 2015 breeding season, we monitored Snowy Plover numbers, nesting and fledging success, use of experimental habitat enhancement sites, and potential predators. We also participated in the second year of a reproductive success pilot study initiated by the Institute for Wildlife Studies (IWS).