The Snowy Plover in Colorado
The Snowy Plover in Colorado
The first Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) recorded from Colorado was a female (C. M. N. H. no. 20014) taken in Adams County, April 26, 1939, by A. M. Bailey and R. J. Niedrach (Condor, vol. 41, 1939, p. 216). On May 20 and 21, 1939, the undersigned with Lloyd Triplet were working Nee Grande Reservoir, a large, shallow lake in Kiowa County, when ten of these plovers were observed, and two were collected. As the birds gave every indication of nesting, Brandenburg and Triplet returned to the same area on June 5 and again found several pairs of plovers on the broad beach. They watched one pair that seemed especially solicitous, and succeeded in finding the nest, seventy-five yards from the water, which contained three fresh eggs. Just as the eggs were located, a band of several hundred sheep was driven toward the water, directly in line with the nest; as sheep water regularly during the summer, it is probable that few beach nesting birds are able to hatch their young. That a few plovers nested successfully was proved, however. Another trip was made to the reservoir on September 16 ; five snowy plovers were observed on one strip of beach, and the two collected proved to be birds of the year, one being scarcely able to fly. It must have been hatched in August, and because of its small size could hardly have flown from another reservoir; it probably was the result of a second attempt at nesting.
The measurements in millimeters of the three adult Colorado specimens are as follows:
16370 ♂; May 20,1939 Eads, Kiowa County W. 105; B. 13; Tar. 23
20014 ♀;April 26, 1939 Barr, Adams County W. 106; B. 15; Tar. 29.
20188 ♀; May 24 1939 Eads, Kiowa County W. 106; B. 14.5; Tar. 24
Alfred M. Bailey, Fred G. Brandenburg
Colorado Museum of Natural History, Denver, Colorado, November 1, 1939
