chorlito nival

1. Nombre del ave
The bird in examination is the Snowy Plover, scientifically known as Charadrius nivosus.

2. Aspecto
The Snowy Plover is a small, delicate bird exhibiting a fascinating mix of colors. Its upper body is in shades of sandy gray and white, which blends into their beach habitats, while the underparts are notably pure white. The bird has a thin, dark bill suited for its feeding habits and dark eyes that contrast against its lightly colored body. The sides of the neck and forehead bear black or dark brown patches. Generally, males exhibit darker markings than females. They also grow white, black, or grayish feathers that give the bird a wind-ruffled appearance.

3. Tamaño
On average, the Snowy Plover is around 15cm/5.9 inches in length with a wingspan of typically 42-44 cm/16.5-17.3 inches. Its weight ranges from 42 to 58 grams.

4. Hábitat y distribución
The Snowy Plover is found across the Americas, abundant in both North and South continents. It prefers open, sandy beaches, sandbars, salt flats, and shorelines of lakes and rivers for its habitat. Along the Pacific coast of America, its range extends from Washington to Baja California in Mexico.

5. Datos de interés
The Snowy Plover exhibits remarkable nesting habits. They build nests directly on bare sand and even use shells and pebbles to camouflage them from predators. Interestingly, it is also known to feign injury to divert the attention of predators away from their nests. The Snowy Plover can have annual breeding attempts to increase their progeny numbers. They also illustrate an extraordinary adaptation of their body color to their sandy habitats, providing camouflage protection.

6. Dieta
Their diet primarily consists of invertebrates like insects, worms, and crustaceans, which they often spot by sight and quickly chase and peck, relying on their agility and speed.

7. Comportamiento y sonidos
Snowy plovers are vigorous little birds with an active and quick nature. They are known for their “broken-wing” act wherein they pretend to be injured, flapping around on the ground to lure predators away from their nests. Their call is characterized as a soft, melodious whistle combined with repetitive, crisp ‘pweet’ or ‘ker-wee’ sounds.

8. Estado de conservación
The Snowy Plover is enlisted as “Near Threatened” according to the IUCN Red List. Their populations have witnessed a decline due to habitat loss and human activities like beach recreation affecting their nesting sites.

9. Vida útil
On average, the Snowy Plover lives up to 3 to 4 years in the wild. However, the oldest known Snowy Plover lived up to 15 years.

10. Notas adicionales
Apart from English, Snowy Plover is known as “Chorlitejo Níveo” in Spanish and “Gravelot Nivar” in French. It plays a vital role in their ecosystem, with their feeding habits helping in controlling the populations of invertebrates at their habitats. Though shy and generally avoiding human interaction, they are also known to nest in areas frequented by humans when other options are unavailable. Their decline and ongoing conservation efforts indicate the need for increased human awareness to protect these delightful creatures.