3.4 Biological Resources
nesting season is April 1 to September 15. Least tern's usually feed in waters within a two-mile radius of
their nesting site, but observations suggest the tern's opportunistic foraging can take it as far as five miles
away.
Western Snowy Plover
The western snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) was listed as threatened in 1997. Their
decline is a result of loss of nesting habitat due to coastal development and recreational activities. Along
the southern California coast, snowy plovers nest on bay fill and beaches around bays and lagoons, spits
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and alkali flats at river mouths, and on salt evaporators. Plovers typically forage in areas with little or no
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human activity and avoid areas of high human use. They prefer to forage on sandy beaches with kelp
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washed ashore. The San Diego region supports 26 percent of the estimated breeding pairs on the
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California coast.
A cluster of nest sites are located around the mouth of the Santa Margarita River on MCB Camp Pendleton
and around the San Diego Bay. The other nests are spread out in between those two sites on Carlsbad
State Beach/Agua Hedionda Lagoon; around Batiquitos, San Elijo, San Dieguito, and Los Peasquitos
Lagoons; and along Mission Beach and Bay. Snowy plovers forage close to their nests probing in the sand
for invertebrates or running along the sand snatching up insects in the air. The nesting season extends from
March 1 to September 15.
American Peregrine Falcon
The American peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus anatum) was listed by the federal and state
governments as an endangered species in 1970. On August 25, 1999, the USFWS removed the American
peregrine falcon from the Endangered Species List, although it currently remains on the state endangered
species list. Current nesting locations include the San Diego metropolitan area and Point Loma. Preferring
to hunt along larger waterways and coastal areas, particularly where large numbers of shorebirds and
waterfowl congregate, peregrine falcons likely utilize the project area on an occasional basis.
Regional Beach Sand Project EIR/EA
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