Santa Barbara Zoo Releases Rehabilitated Snowy Plovers
The Santa Barbara Zoo, in collaboration with UC Santa Barbara and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has released 11 rehabilitated Western snowy plovers back into the wild at Coal Oil Point Reserve in Isla Vista. These birds are equipped…
Santa Barbara Santa Maria San Luis Obispo, CA, September 25, 2026 —
Eleven rehabilitated Western snowy plovers have been returned to the wild by the Santa Barbara Zoo, working in conjunction with UC Santa Barbara and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The release took place at the Coal Oil Point Reserve, located in Isla Vista.
The Western snowy plover is a species designated as threatened. The collaborative conservation effort aims to bolster the wild population of these birds.
To assist in ongoing conservation monitoring, each of the 11 plovers released has been fitted with a tracking band. These bands are colloquially referred to as “bling” by the organizations involved in the program. The tracking bands are intended to help researchers and wildlife officials gather data on the birds’ movements, behavior, and survival rates as they reintegrate into their natural habitat.
The Santa Barbara Zoo, UC Santa Barbara, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have partnered on this initiative, pooling resources and expertise to rehabilitate injured or distressed plovers and prepare them for release back into protected areas like the Coal Oil Point Reserve. The reserve is known to be a critical habitat for various shorebirds.
Further details regarding the rehabilitation process or specific outcomes of the tracking efforts were not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by Callie Fausey on www.independent.com, see more information here.
