Snowy Plover, Charadrius nivosus
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![]() These amazingly cute little shorebirds live mostly on sandy beaches, a habitat under ever-increasing pressure from human use. Above and below, males in breeding plumage, the one below with wings raised. The dark markings on the forehead, behind the eye, and at the shoulder are all black on males; they are dark brown, sometimes mixed with black, on females. |
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![]() Above and below, females in breeding plumage, with dark brown rather than black markings. The feathers are worn in late spring. | |
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![]() Above and below, the slight dark markings suggest these are non-breeding adults rather than first-cycle young birds; it's hard to tell these apart in mid-winter. |
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![]() No dark markings in late October; I can't tell whether this one is adult or first-winter. If I had enquired earlier, the bands would have told, but I didn't ask about this bird until many years after I took the picture. | |
![]() A probable adult just molted into fresh plumage with dark markings; prominant white edges to feathers could be either adult or immature. | |
![]() Above and below, adults with worn breeding plumage, September above, August below. | |
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