Using automated telemetry to identify population connectivity and migration phenology of Snowy Plovers breeding in the Southern Great Plains

Within-breeding season movements have not been quantified for Snowy Plovers (Charadrius nivosus) breeding on the Southern Great Plains (SGP), where suitable breeding habitat can range from less than 10 km to more than 600 km apart. This mosaic distribution of discrete patches of breeding habitat, combined with weather stochasticity and low densities of Snowy Plovers in Texas and New Mexico, increases the risk of local and regional extirpation. Further, little is known about SGP Snowy Plover migration phenology or winter habitat. We used the Motus Wildlife Tracking System to examine population connectivity, migration phenology, and winter habitat locations of adult Snowy Plovers in the SGP. Movements of Snowy Plovers during the 2017 and 2018 breeding seasons suggest little to no connectivity between the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge population in Oklahoma and populations in Texas and New Mexico. However, several Snowy Plovers in Texas moved to a lake formed by freshwater springs that may have provided higher-quality breeding and foraging habitat. Migrating primarily at night, we found that Snowy Plovers from a breeding area in Oklahoma made migratory movements to Texas and the Louisiana Gulf Coast. These data may be important to long-term conservation and planning efforts relative to understanding regional persistence and connectivity among breeding populations of Snowy Plovers in the SGP. Our results also highlight the need for future studies of wintering habitats used by SGP Snowy Plovers.