Chapters 1 - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Refuge Resources
nesting platforms, where they are easily visible to observers. These counts, which provide
minimum population estimates, have been conducted since 1975. Annual monitoring reports are
prepared to document the data and observations made during the year.
The predator management program approved for the Refuge in 1990 also addresses protection of
the light-footed clapper rail from potential mammalian and avian predators. Predator
management is implemented year round to control coyotes, feral cats and dogs, and other potential
predators. The non-native red fox appears to have been extirpated from the site, however,
monthly nighttime predator monitoring is still conducted to determine the types and densities of
potential predators on the site and to ensure that no red foxes are present.
To address another issue affecting the light-footed clapper rail population on the Refuge, that of
low genetic diversity, translocation of light-footed clapper rail eggs and captive bred birds has
occurred on the Refuge on several occasions. Most recently, 13 light-footed clapper rails were
released in fall 2008 from the captive rail propagation program occurring in San Diego through a
partnership with the San Diego NWR Complex, Chula Vista Nature Center, Sea World of San
Diego, San Diego Zoological Society, U.S. Navy, and Clapper Rail Study Team of the Huntington
Beach Wetland Conservancy. The translocated birds were banded with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service band on the left leg and a blue plastic band on the right leg to denote the 2008 annual code.
In August 2009, an additional five light-footed clapper rails were released on the Refuge from the
captive breeding program.
4.3.5.3 Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus)
The western snowy plover is a sparrow-sized, white and tan colored shorebird with dark patches on
either side of the neck, behind the eyes, and on the forehead (Page et al. 1995). The coastal
western snowy plover population is defined as those individuals that nest adjacent to or near tidal
waters and includes all nesting colonies on the mainland coast, peninsulas, offshore islands,
adjacent bays, and estuaries. The breeding range of the western snowy plover extends along
coastal beaches from the southern portion of Washington State to southern Baja California, Mexico
(USFWS 1993).
The breeding season of the western snowy plover extends from March 1 through September 15.
Generally, three eggs are laid in a nest, which consists of a shallow depression scraped in sandy or
saline substrates. Some nests are lined with plant parts, small pebbles, or shell fragments. Both
sexes incubate the eggs for an average of 27 days (Warriner et al. 1986). Snowy plovers will renest
after loss of a clutch or brood. Snowy plover chicks are precocious and leave the nest within
hours of hatching in search of food. The tending adult(s) provide danger warnings, thermoregulation
assistance, and guide the chicks to foraging areas, but do not provide food to their
chicks. Broods rarely stay in the immediate area of the nest. Young birds are able to fly within
approximately 31 days of hatching (Warriner et al. 1986). Adults and young forage on
invertebrates along intertidal areas, along beaches in wet sand and surf cast kelp, in foredune
areas of dry sand above the high tide, on salt pans, and along the edges of salt marshes and salt
ponds. The snowy plover is primarily a run and glean type of forager.
Some snowy plovers remain in their coastal breeding areas year-round, while others migrate south
or north for the winter (USFWS 2007). Flocks of nonbreeding birds, consisting of a mixture of
adult and hatching-year birds, begin to form along the Pacific coast in early July. During
migration and winter, these flocks range in size from a few individuals to up to 300 birds. In the
vicinity of the Refuge, near Huntington Beach and the Bolsa Chica wetlands, the numbers of
wintering snowy plovers typically range from 30 to 60 individuals (USFWS 2007). A few
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