Category Archives: Wildlife

Interpretive Blogs about Wildlife and Plants

Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus)

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If you see a small shorebird scurrying over the sand, it is probably a Western Snowy Plover. There are many different types of shorebirds that are easily identified by their small to medium sized bodies, with relatively long legs and thin bills.

Western Snowy Plover
(Photo courtesy of ODFW)

Western Snowy Plovers have sand-colored back feathers and black markings on their faces and sides of their necks.  They are about seven inches long and have a wingspan of about 19 inches. They are found on the Pacific coastal areas, across both North and South America, Eurasia, and Africa.

Oregon Coast breeder

This is the only shorebird that regularly breeds on Oregon’s beaches and resides year-round between Heceta Head, near Florence, Oregon south to Cape Blanco, near Port Orford. The Snowy Plover will frequently raise two broods (or more) each year.

Young birds are very independent and leave the nest within three hours of hatching. They have an acute sense of sight and are intelligent and will forage unassisted by parents. Like their parents they are fully mobile walking, running, wading, and swimming well.

Upon parental signals indicating the approach of people or potential predators, they will flatten themselves on the ground.  

Diet

Snowy Plovers will consume many types of small crustaceans, worms, and insects. When they spy a potential morsel, they will pick it up or attempt to startle the creature into moving. Thus, if it moves, they are assured that what they caught is edible.

Human Interaction

Human activities on the beach often disturbs the Western Snowy Plover’s natural habitat and nesting attempts. Activities that frequently disturb the birds include dog walking, kite flying, off-road vehicles, and any nest disturbances.

These disturbances pushed the bird into a Threatened category under the Endangered Species Act several years ago. The bird has gradually been making a comeback, but often faces a number of human challenges.

The Audubon Society developed four recommendations to make beaches safer for birds that, in summary, include:

  • Give nests and nesting birds plenty of space
  • Keep pets on a leash (or use a different beach)
  • Clean up trash or food scraps that might attract predators, and
  • Avoid driving vehicles in nesting areas.

REFERENCES:
–Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Western Snowy Plover (https://myodfw.com/wildlife-viewing/species/western-snowy-plover)
–All About Birds, Snowy Plover (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Plover/)
–Wikipedia, Snowy Plover (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowy_plover)
–Audubon Society, Snowy Plover (https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/snowy-plover and
…news/audubon-urges-beachgoers-give-birds-their-space-too)

Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani)

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Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani)

You probably have a loud, outgoing friend or two that can be trusted to make their presence known whenever they walk into a room. If you’re a resident of the intertidal community between Alaska, and Baja, California the Black Oystercatcher could be that friend. The Black Oystercatcher is a keystone species in this region and is believed to be a particularly sensitive indicator of the overall health of the rocky intertidal community. This large, long-lived shorebird measures approximately 15 inches in length with a long, thick, reddish-orange bill, a yellow eye encircled by an orange ring, and pink legs. These colors stick out against the bird’s black and dark brown plumage. In addition to its eye-catching appearance, black oystercatchers are gregarious and noisy birds, making several different types of noises to call to each other loudly and to scold other birds that may get too close to where it is feeding.

Oystercatchers inhabit marine shorelines, making their nests above the high tide line on offshore rocks, rocky shores, and sand or gravel beaches. If disturbed, they take flight with loud, ringing whistles easily heard above the sound of the waves. Despite its name, this shorebird seldom eats oysters. Instead, it feeds on a variety of intertidal invertebrates including mussels, limpets, chitons, crabs, barnacles, and other small creatures.

Black oystercatchers are highly vulnerable to natural and human disturbances. Major threats include predation of eggs and young by native and non-native predators; coastal development; human disturbance; shoreline contamination including oil spills; and global climate change. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the entire world population of black oystercatchers is estimated at about 11,000 individuals. More than 50 percent of that population lives in Alaska. If you have the chance to see a Black Oystercatcher next time you visit the beach in Oregon take a moment to appreciate this interesting bird, but keep your distance and help preserve this unique species.

Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)

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Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)

The Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is the largest jay in North America measuring in at 12-13 inches. Like many humans, this bird knows it never hurts to have a few tricks up your sleeve. They have a few unique skills that might surprise you.

The Steller’s Jay is related to the Blue Jay but has a slimmer bill and longer legs. It is also the only western jay with a crest. The front part of this jay is black while the back, wings and tail are dark blue. This coloring helps the Steller’s Jay easily blend in with the evergreen forests of the mountainous West where it is typically found, although this bird is also known to frequent campgrounds, parks, and backyards.

This bird is very intelligent and opportunistic. Steller’s Jays usually travel in pairs or family groups. They have a complex social and communication system, with a variety of calls, postures and displays. For instance, a spread wing shows submission, and a raised crest might mean attack. Steller’s Jays may also mimic the screams of hawks and Golden Eagles. This bird feeds mainly on acorns and pine seeds, but will raid other bird’s nests for eggs and nestlings. They will also eat small reptiles, nuts, berries, fruits, and insects.  Curiously, these jays have distendable esophagi that they are able to use to carry acorns and nuts. These foods are often cached for the winter or saved for eating at a later time. What unique skills do you have up your sleeve?