It’s easy to miss the cryptic-colored snowy plovers on Crown Beach, even if you’re intent on finding them. They’re small enough to fit in the palm of the hand, and their pale tan backs and snowy white bellies blend in perfectly with the sand. 

Park district has taken measures to protect birds

Joggers, picnickers and birdwatchers at Alameda’s Crown Beach will notice a recent installation in the landscape: cautionary signs that instruct beachgoers to stay at least 20 feet away from the roosting snowy plovers.