After 40 years without nesting, western snowy plovers have returned to a California beach; a conservation programme has now released 212 birds since 2016 and is using tracking tags to follow their movements

Western snowy plovers have returned to nesting at Coal Oil Point Reserve in Isla Vista, California, after about 40 years without nesting there. The return followed conservation work that included fencing and a docent programme to reduce human disturbance around the birds, Santa Barbara Independent reported.