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THE TWO-NEST RULE

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks shared some fascinating information on mountain plover, also known as "prairie ghosts." These birds live in shortgrass prairies and have a two-nest rule. The female splits her clutch between two nests, with the male incubating one nest and the female the other. They can lay between one and four eggs, with an average of three in each nest.

Brandi Skone, Region 4 non-game biologist says, "The two-nest rule is thought to increase the likelihood that at least one brood survives by spreading the risk and not putting all their eggs in one basket, so to speak.” said Brandi Skone, Region 4 nongame wildlife biologist.

MOUNTAIN IN NAME ONLY

Contrary to their name, mountain plover do not live in the mountains. They were first observed in 1834 near the Rocky Mountains and were wrongly assumed to live in the mountains. Turns out they are a prairie bird.

Their habitat ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico. Historically, mountain plover were associated with bison-grazed lands. More recently, they’ve been tied to sheep-grazed lands and prairie dog towns, given the very short height of vegetation, where they can find their diet of insects, including grasshoppers.

A SPECIES OF GREATEST CONSERVATION NEED

The global population is estimated at 17,000 to 20,000. Data estimates the species has declined by an average of 2.5 percent annually from 1966 to 2022, resulting in an estimated 75 percent population loss.

In Montana, the species was considered totally gone in 2019 in parts of central and southwestern Montana. However, the population in the northeastern part of the state has also declined but is still considered stable.

FWP NEEDS YOU TO POST YOUR GHOST

Montana FWP is actively engaged in the International Mountain Plover Working Group, working to contribute toward a range-wide assessment to update the population estimate.

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FWP can use your help to protect the mountain plover and its habitat. If you see a mountain plover, please report it to FWP. Given the cryptic nature of these birds and the challenges associated with identification, FWP asks that you include a photograph with your observation if at all possible.

More details can be found on this page of the Montana FWP website.