Lemme impart some local biology knowledge to you

The western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus)  is small shorebird in the plover family Charadriidae. The Pacific Coast population of the snowy plover is a distinct sub-population that is Federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Locally, snowy plovers can be seen nesting and rearing their young along the sandy shores and the lower stretches of the Eel River. Nests are formed via scraping, where the male makes an shallow indent in the sand with his body and the female lays a clutch of about two to three eggs.

Recovery Unit 2 (Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino Counties) is considered to be a population ‘sink,’ meaning that the RU2 fragment cannot produce enough individuals to sustain itself without immigrants from other populations. New recruits are banded yearly in order to study population dynamics. (If you’re nerdy like me and get all riled up about PVAs and metapopulations, here’s a study done by my old orni TA.) 

While habitat degradation and human activities are some of the largest threats to the snowy plover, nest predation by corvids (jays, ravens and crows) is extremely high in RU2. Biologists believe the removal (the more euphemistic term) of corvids is essential while the public disagrees, making the protection of the western snowy plover a controversial topic in Humboldt county. 

Attention jamberlies: