The Mountain Plover

Photo Fritz Knopfi/USFWS

The Mountain Plover is an unusual plover species in that it is not associated with water. Instead it is a species of arid shortgrass prairie.

The Mountain Plover has become increasingly scarce and its breeding habitat is now largely confined to small areas of remnant prarie in Montana and Colorado.

The birds usually lay three eggs which are very well camouflaged. They hatch in around 29 days and the young birds can walk and feed soon after hatching. They are often moved long distances by the parents when they are only a few days old.

The Mountain Plover is an insect eating bird and it often choses to nest around Prairie Dog towns where they create short turf with an abundant insect population.