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WDFW: western snowy plover numbers rise but hatch rates remain low; agency readies 2026 monitoring and outreach
Summary
At a Feb. 12 Wildlife Committee briefing, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife shorebird lead Allison Anholt said statewide counts and banding show recent gains and range expansion for western snowy plovers, but egg‑stage failures left hatch rates at 17% (2024) and 20% (2025).
The Fish and Wildlife Commission's Wildlife Committee on Feb. 12 heard a detailed update on western snowy plover recovery from Allison Anholt, shorebird and colonial waterbird species lead for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
Anholt told commissioners the western snowy plovers that breed on Washington's sandy beaches occur year‑round along Pacific and Grays Harbor counties and prefer low‑vegetation river inlets and reshaped beaches. "The ones we're talking about today are western snowy plovers," she said, noting the state's coastline represents the far northern edge of the breeding range.
WDFW staff described life history and monitoring methods: plovers typically lay three eggs in April, eggs take about 35 days to hatch, and chicks fledge roughly 28 days after hatching. Anholt said the agency uses intensive monitoring—seasonal biologists searching for cryptic nests with 3–5 times weekly…
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