Snowy Plover (Anarhynchus nivosus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Snowy Plover

Anarhynchus nivosus (Cassin, 1858)

Busiest months: April · Most records: United States, Chile, Mexico

Near Threatened

Where and when it's recorded

Snowy Plover has been recorded at 269 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 30 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Malibu Lagoon – State Beach including LagoonUnited States4,989 records
  2. Bolivar Flats Shorebird SanctuaryUnited States4,617 records
  3. Fort De Soto ParkUnited States4,297 records
More places
  1. Pt. Reyes – Abbotts LagoonUnited States1,968 records
  2. Moss Landing – Jetty Road, north jetty & State BeachUnited States1,916 records
  3. Antelope Island SP – CausewayUnited States1,645 records
  4. San Diego River mudflatsUnited States1,565 records
  5. Cheyenne Bottoms WAUnited States1,355 records
  6. Bolsa Chica Ecological ReserveUnited States1,227 records
  7. Hayward Regional ShorelineUnited States1,154 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesChileMexicoPeruPuerto RicoCaribbean NetherlandsEcuadorDominican Republic

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

Where does the Snowy Plover live?

Its breeding range: North America, Middle America, South America: coastal Washington to central Baja California (northwestern Mexico); inland Saskatchewan (irregular; south-central Canada) to California and central Texas; coastal Gulf of Mexico to Yucatan Peninsula; inland central Mexico; southern, central Bahamas to Virgin Islands; Peru to south-central Chile. It is most often recorded in United States, Chile and Mexico.

When is the best time to see the Snowy Plover?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Snowy Plover endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Snowy Plover as Near Threatened.

What family is the Snowy Plover in?

It belongs to the family Plovers (Charadriidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Conservation
Near Threatened

Range

North America, Middle America, South America: coastal Washington to central Baja California (northwestern Mexico); inland Saskatchewan (irregular; south-central Canada) to California and central Texas; coastal Gulf of Mexico to Yucatan Peninsula; inland central Mexico; southern, central Bahamas to Virgin Islands; Peru to south-central Chile

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Plovers Charadriidae
Genus
Anarhynchus

Other birds in the genus Anarhynchus

Caspian PloverCaspian PloverAnarhynchus asiaticusOriental PloverOriental PloverAnarhynchus veredusTibetan Sand PloverTibetan Sand PloverAnarhynchus atrifronsSiberian Sand PloverSiberian Sand PloverAnarhynchus mongolusGreater Sand PloverGreater Sand PloverAnarhynchus leschenaultiiDouble-banded PloverDouble-banded PloverAnarhynchus bicinctusWrybillWrybillAnarhynchus frontalisNew Zealand PloverNew Zealand PloverAnarhynchus obscurusWilson's PloverWilson's PloverAnarhynchus wilsoniaCollared PloverCollared PloverAnarhynchus collarisMountain PloverMountain PloverAnarhynchus montanusPuna PloverPuna PloverAnarhynchus alticola
Snowy Plover

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Judd Patterson. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages