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Soil Investigations for Data Collection in the Delta Initial Study/Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration 65 Mountain Plover is a California Species of Special Concern. Mountain Plover is a medium-sized shorebird with brown and cream plumage (Knopf and Wunder 2006). Mountain Plover winters in California from September to March in the Central Valley, San Joaquin Valley foothills, and southern California (Hickey et al. 2003). Suitable habitat for Mountain Plover includes heavily grazed grassland, short hay crops such as alfalfa, freshly tilled fields, and alkali flats (Knopf and Rupert 1995; Hunting and Edson 2008). Nesting has not been recorded in California, but the species is present in the state from September through mid- March (Hunting and Edson 2008). Mountain Plover is considered to have a low potential to occur within the Study Area due to minimal suitable habitat, no recorded occurrences within four miles of the Study Area, and its lack of breeding in California. Therefore, potential impacts to Mountain Plover would be less than significant. Implementation of Mitigation Measure MM BIO-1 would further avoid, minimize and/or reduce the potential for impacts. Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) Northern Harrier is a California species of special concern. Northern Harrier is a medium-sized, slender low-flying raptor with a white rump; males have gray and females have brown plumage (Smith et al. 2011). The species occurs throughout North America and is a year-round resident in California and its breeding range covers northern California, the Central Valley, the central coast, and portions of southern deserts (Davis and Niemela 2008). It uses meadows, grasslands, open rangelands, desert sinks, and fresh and saltwater emergent wetlands for foraging and nesting. Northern Harriers forage for small mammals, reptiles by flying low to the ground. Nests are built on the ground in dense vegetation. Breeding occurs from April to September (CDFW 1990c). Suitable foraging habitat and nesting habitat for Northern Harrier is present within the Study Area, and there are known occurrences within the Study Area. Therefore, Northern Harrier has a high potential to occur within the Study Area. Implementation of Mitigation Measures MM BIO-1 and MM BIO-6 would reduce potential impacts to Norther Harrier to: Less than Significant with Mitigation Incorporated. Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus occidentalis) Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo is listed as Threatened under FESA and Endangered under CESA. Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a slender bird with brown plumage on its back and white below, long tail with black and white spots, and a curved yellow bill. The species’ historical breeding distribution extended throughout western North America, including the Central Valley, where it was considered common (Belding 1890). Currently, the only known populations of breeding Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo are in several disjunct locations in