Breeding Habitat:Grassland
Nest Type:N/A
Migration Status:Neotropical migrant
Nest Location:N/A
The Mountain Plover was formerly a widespread summer resident of short-grass prairies on the western Great Plains, occupying a range extending from Montana to New Mexico and Texas (Graul and Webster 1976). During the past century, the conversion of native prairies to croplands has significantly reduced the availability of suitable habitats for this species, producing a significant decline in the continental population. Nearly half of the remaining breeding population is found in Weld County, Colorado and Phillips County, Montana, with a very local distribution elsewhere in its range (Andrews and Righter 1992).
This species has fairly specific habitat requirements, preferring level areas with very short grass and scattered cactus (Graul 1975). Intensive grazing is beneficial for Mountain Plovers, and they also regularly occupy prairie dog towns (Knowles et al. 1982). They are somewhat colonial during the breeding season, and may shift their breeding areas from year to year.
Breeding Mountain Plovers are relatively inconspicuous and easily overlooked. They tend to be poorly sampled by roadside surveys such as the BBS where they are recorded in very small numbers from New Mexico to Wyoming (Relative Abundance Map). The BBS trend estimates should be viewed with considerable caution, as most data for this species are obtained on fewer than 5 routes that have been consistently surveyed since the 1960s. These data may not be representative of trends throughout their range. The 1966-1994 trends indicate a decline in the Central BBS Region (Trend List). Very small sample sizes preclude estimation of trends for other intervals or for states and strata. The survey-wide indices are variable but with a declining tendency (Survey-wide Annual Indices). No consistent geographic patterns are evident in their trends (Trend Map).
The status of wintering Mountain Plover populations is poorly understood. In the U.S., most are found in California with small numbers in Arizona and Texas. An unknown proportion of the continental population winters in northern Mexico (Aou 1983). This species is infrequently recorded on CBCs, and the limited data is not sufficient to establish any trends during this season. While local declines have been reported for wintering populations in southern California (Garrett and Dunn 1981), their trends elsewhere are largely unknown.
American Ornithologists Union. 1983. Check-list of North American
birds, 6th ed. Allen Press, Lawrence, KS. 877 pp.
Andrews, R., and R. Righter. 1992. Colorado birds. Denver Mus.
Natur. Hist., Denver, CO. 442 pp.
Garrett, K., and J. Dunn. 1981. Birds of southern California:
status and distribution. Los Angeles Audubon Soc., Los
Angeles, CA. 408 pp.
Graul, W.D. 1975. Breeding biology of the Mountain Plover.
Wilson Bull. 87:6-31.
Graul, W.D., and L.E. Webster. 1976. Breeding status of the
Mountain Plover. Condor 78:265-267.
Knowles, C.J., C.J. Stoner, and S.P. Gieb. 1982. Selective use of
black-tailed prairie dog towns by Mountain Plovers. Condor
84:71-74.