The mountain plover anarhynchus montanus is an uncommon shorebird that is endemic to the shortgrass prairies of the high plains from southeastern montana to northwestern new mexico

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation received a Formula Grant award of $185,404.35 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 2 under the State Wildlife Grants Program (CFDA 15.634), effective January 1, 2026, with completion targeted for June 30, 2028. This award funds a comprehensive two-year population assessment and reproductive success study of the Mountain Plover (Anarhynchus montanus), an uncommon shorebird endemic to the High Plains shortgrass prairies. The project addresses a critical information gap regarding Mountain Plover distribution and status in Oklahoma, where no follow-up monitoring has occurred since 2005. Products delivered include establishment of 200-300 survey points along public roads throughout the Oklahoma Panhandle, point count surveys conducted between April 15 and June 15 during the 2026 and 2027 nesting seasons, habitat characterization data collection at each survey site, and spatial occupancy model analyses for both field seasons to determine species presence, detection rates, and habitat associations.

In partnership with Oklahoma State University as a sub-awardee, the project additionally delivers nest location data and reproductive success assessments across agricultural landscapes, examining how Mountain Plover breeding patterns in Oklahoma's agricultural fields compare to their typical association with prairie dog towns and natural shortgrass habitats elsewhere in their range. These research products will provide state and federal wildlife managers with updated baseline information to inform species conservation strategies and land management decisions within Oklahoma's portion of the Mountain Plover breeding range.

The oklahoma panhandle lies at the southeastern margin of the species breeding range and surveys in the 1990S and early 2000S documented a small breeding population in cimarron and western texas counties. In oklahoma mountain plovers associate their nesting activity primarily with agricultural FIELDS which contrasts with the observed pattern elsewhere in their nesting range where they show a preference for prairie DOG towns and other natural short grass habitats. There has been no follow up monitoring of the oklahoma nesting population since 2005 and the current distribution and population size for mountain plovers in oklahoma is uncertain. This project is designed to provide updated information on the mountain plovers status in oklahoma and assess the species reproductive success in agricultural landscapes over two nesting seasons 2026 and 2027.to assess the mountain plovers distribution and status during the nesting season 200 to 300 survey points will be established along low traffic public roads in the study area using a stratified random design that omits unsuitable habitat types. Observers will conduct 5 minute point counts at each site between april 15 and june 15 to determine mountain plover presence and associated avian species. Prior to conducting the point count a recording of mountain plover vocalizations will be broadcast for one minute to improve the species probability of detection. Each site will be surveyed two or three times within a season to examine occupancy and detection rates. Habitat parameters will be collected at each site to assess the habitats with which mountain plovers are most frequently associated. Spatial occupancy models will be fit to the data for each of the two field seasons.to assess reproductive success nests will be located by observing the behavior of adult mountain plovers to determine the areas (FIELDS) where nests are most likely to be present. Then an observer will revisit the site with a thermal imaging scope to locate the incubating adult on the nest and determine the exact nest location. The following morning a cellular enabled trail camera will be placed on the ground three meters from the nest and programed to photograph the nest every hour and in response to motion around the nest. The photos will be used to determine the fate of each nests sucessful VS unsuccessful and determine the cause of failure for unsuccessful nests. Nest success in the oklahoma study are will be compared with nest success rates in other parts of the mountain plovers range to determine whether they are comparable. A linear mixed effects model will be developed to estimate the relationships between nest outcomes successful unsuccessful and causes of nest failure and environmental variables such as habitat condition.