Mountain Plover population and habitat assessments in Texas, 2019–2020

We conducted population and habitat assessments for Mountain Plovers in Texas during winters of 2019 and 2020. We used roadside surveys and distance-sampling to estimate bird density and calculate population totals for the study area, which included parts of five ecoregions (Chihuahuan Deserts, High Plains, Central Great Plains, Southern Texas Plains, Texas Blackland Prairies, and Western Gulf Coastal Plain). In 2019, we surveyed 103 transects along 3,032 km (1,884 mi) and, in 2020, we surveyed 152 transects along 4,985 km (3,098 mi). When driving along transects, we stopped every 3.2 km (2 mi) to assess habitat conditions (vegetation height, vegetation density, etc.) and land cover (National Land Cover Database categories).