Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Texas
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Recent work in the Southern High Plains of Texas have documented continued declines of adult snowy plovers (Charadrius nivosus) on saline lakes. Currently, no reliable estimates of survival, recruitment, connectivity or philopatry exist for any other portion of the midcontinental snowy plover population. Approximately 28% of snowy plovers occur in the Great Plains emphasis area, with population declines approaching 80% in saline lakes of the Southern High Plains of Texas over a 10-year period. We are working with partners from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to obtain information reliable estimates of survival and population connectivity. These data are important to provide decision makers with reliable information with which to evaluate the species status and develop conservation measures if warranted.