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

_______________________________ 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

_____________________________ 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

___________________________ 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