An unwary species, the mountain plover often faces away from an observer and squats motionless in response to disturbance. The bird virtually disappears in the tall grass, earning it the nickname "prairie ghost." Photo © Glen Tepke
A Prairie Native At Risk
Indicators of population trends show a major decline in mountain plover populations over the last 30 years. Threats to this unique prairie bird include conversion of native prairie grasslands for intensive agriculture, loss of prairie dog colonies, predation from expanding swift fox populations, and oil and gas exploration paired with increasing recreation in grassland ecosystems.
Natural History
The mountain plover is about nine inches in height, has long legs, and is sandy-brown in coloration. Breeding adults have black forecrowns, white foreheads and wing stripes, and a thin, black eyeline. Insectivores, they feed mostly on grasshoppers. The mountain plover is misnamed, as it lives on level land. Unlike most plovers, it is usually not found near bodies of water or even on wet soil. This bird inhabits prairie grasslands, arid plains and fields, commonly in conjunction with black-tailed prairie dog colonies and cattle grazing sites. Mountain plovers breed in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and the Texas Panhandle east to Nebraska, and winter from central California and southern Arizona southward into Mexico.
Conservation Status
-Colorado Division of Wildlife Species of Concern
-BLM Sensitive Species in Colorado
-IUCN Near Threatened Species
-Utah Species of Concern
-New Mexico Species of Greatest Conservation Need
Action Taken
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was concerned enough about mountain plover declines that it proposed to list it as a Threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 1999, but never followed through with the listing. Center for Native Ecosystems and others formally appealed to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to require them to make a final Endangered Species Act determination for the mountain plover. Unexpectedly, the Service responded by not only denying ESA protections for the plover, but also completely removing the bird from their Candidate list. While we plan our next action to secure protection for this dwindling species, we continue to monitor potentially harmful activities in mountain plover habitat.
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US Fish & Wildlife Service Withdrawal of the Proposed Rule to List Mountain Plover as Threatened
