WDFW: western snowy plover numbers rise but hatch rates remain low; agency readies 2026 monitoring and outreach

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 checks—plus adult surveys and a predator‑management study to evaluate nest and chick survival.

The update mixed encouraging and concerning figures. WDFW reported a record statewide breeding‑season count of 156 plovers in Washington in the most recent season and said range‑wide surveys reached a recovery threshold of about 3,018 individuals for the first time. At the same time the agency has observed very low hatch rates at some sites: "We have a really low hatch rate, of only 17 percent in 2024 and 20 percent in 2025," Anholt said, adding that most losses are at the egg stage rather than the chick stage.

Staff linked failures to three primary threats: dense introduced beach grasses that remove open nesting habitat, human‑subsidized predators such as crows and ravens, and recreational disturbance (including trash, fireworks and beach driving). Anholt recounted photographic evidence of a vehicle track that destroyed three nests in one event and said WDFW's law enforcement "were actually able to somehow track down who this was, and they were able to recommend that case to the county prosecutor." She also described ongoing predator work and habitat restoration with state parks and federal partners.

Banding and partnership monitoring are informing movement and population trends. WDFW reported banding 31 chicks in 2024 and 59 in 2025; color bands allow staff and community scientists to follow individuals. Anholt highlighted one bird that she said traveled roughly 1,700 miles over six months and was re‑observed in Washington later in the season, evidence of cross‑state movement and connectivity with Oregon and California populations.

To reduce disturbance and build local stewardship, Anholt described symbolic fencing and interpretive signage, collaboration with Surfrider Foundation and state parks, a kid sign contest in partnership with Grays Harbor County Schools and the Coastal Interpretive Center at Ocean Shores starting next month, and a planned beach day and cleanup in June 2026. WDFW is also hiring a seasonal biologist to begin monitoring ahead of the breeding season and expects to report on recovery progress in a periodic status review due in 2027.

Commissioners asked about recovery criteria, range status and timing of fledging. Anholt said Washington's recovery targets were developed in the 1990s and informed the federal recovery plan; she noted that range‑wide goals were reached for the first time in the most recent range assessment. She confirmed fledging is most common in July and August and said fireworks around July 4 contribute to post‑holiday nest failures.

The committee did not take any formal votes on plover policy at the Feb. 12 briefing; staff will return with updates and the planned 2027 status review is the next scheduled report.