Mystery Bird: Mountain Plover, Charadrius montanus

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[Mystery bird] Mountain Plover, Charadrius montanus, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]

Image: Richard Ditch, 25 December 2007 [larger view].

Date Time Original: 2007:12:25 10:06:24
Exposure Time: 1/319
F-Number: 10.00
ISO: 400

Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.

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This is a summary of several of the better books I’ve had the opportunity to review here, organized in general categories.
tags: conservation, endangered species,
Family Guy, S07E02 'I Dream of Jesus': Peter: Brian, can I see that paper for a sec? (Brian gives Peter the paper. Peter peruses the paper.) Peter: Huh... that's odd... I thought that would big news.

Snowy Plover

Incomplete breast band and SNOWY white feathers underneath

Snowy Plover

Incomplete breast band and SNOWY white feathers underneath

Mountain Plover, from its structure and location

...a Killdeer candidate for What Not to Wear?
...a dirt clod with legs?
...an animated cow pie?

But seriously, it's a Mountain Plover. The other (sometimes) plain plovers, Snowy and Piping, are comparatively large headed and would be way out of range and habitat.

The overall plain brown makes it a Mountain Plover for this size plover. My husband and I looked all through its breeding areas in Colorado and Wyoming this spring without finding any--we're told (and believe!) they're becoming quite rare.

By Michelle Scholz (not verified) on 16 Jun 2009 #permalink