The snowy plover (Anarhynchus nivosus) is a small shorebird found in
much of the Americas on both coasts and inland. Inland populations are
migratory, whereas some coastal birds are resident. This plover is brown
above and white below, with a white band on the neck, a slender black
bill, and gray to black legs. Breeding males have black patches behind
the eye and on the neck. The typical call is a repeated "tu-wheet". The
bird inhabits open areas with sparse vegetation, like sandy beaches and
shores of salt or soda lakes, where it feeds on invertebrates, such as
crustaceans, worms, beetles, and flies. Males excavate multiple nest
scrapes that are advertised to females, who may be polygamous. The
species is listed as near threatened by the IUCN. The main threats are
habitat destruction due to invasive beach grasses, urban development,
and disturbance due to recreational uses of beaches. While conservation
measures have been successful locally, the global population is thought
to be in decline.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowy_plover>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1934:
The Export–Import Bank of the United States, the country's
official export credit agency, was established.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Export%E2%80%93Import_Bank_of_the_United_States>
1974:
The F-16 Fighting Falcon, the most numerous fixed-wing aircraft
in military service, made its first flight.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Dynamics_F-16_Fighting_Falcon>
2004:
Swiss tennis player Roger Federer became the top-ranked men's
singles player, a position he held for a record 237 consecutive weeks.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Federer>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
pipeweed:
1. (smoking) Tobacco prepared for smoking in a pipe; also, the leaves of
herbs or other plants prepared for such use.
2. Any of a number of plants having thin and straight stems resembling
pipes, often hollow or lacking branches.
3. (specifically) The common horsetail or field horsetail (Equisetum
arvense).
4. (specifically, US) The desert trumpet (Eriogonum inflatum) which has
a straight stem with a swollen portion; formerly some Native American
tribes in the Las Vegas Valley area turned such stems into pipes for
smoking by removing the stem at the base and cutting the swollen portion
in half to serve as a bowl.
5. (obsolete)
6. The redrattle (Pedicularis flammea), a parasitic plant having hollow
stems.
7. A type of seaweed with tubelike fronds; especially the sea lettuce
(Ulva intestinalis).
8. An unidentified sessile marine invertebrate, probably a soft coral or
sponge.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pipeweed>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
When you find yourself needing the phrase "This is like Groundhog
Day" to explain how you feel, a movie has accomplished something.
--Roger Ebert
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Roger_Ebert>