Learn more about how climate change has affected the endangered Piping Plover population and their environment.
The Piping Plover is a shore bird that helps control the insect and small organisms population in the beaches by eating them. Some of the species they eat are beetles, marine worms, and small crustaceans mollusks. It is very easy for them to camouflage within the sand and rocks found in the beach. The making of the nest does not take more than a day to build but it could take up to 10 day for the pair to decide which nest they want to use. It typically takes them a week to lay all of their eggs, which are typically 4 or less eggs, and they hatch to approximately 28 days. Both the female and male take turns incubating the eggs, while one goes off to eat, the other takes care of the eggs.
GEOGRAPHIC & POPULATION CHANGES
The Piping Plover is mostly found in the areas of the Northern Great Plains but can also be seen in the Atlantic Coast and other places in North and Central America. In the winter they migrate to regions such as the Gulf of Mexico. They recently found some Piping Plover populations in the Bahamas, so it might be difficult to know exactly everywhere they migrate to. It is also known that they often return back to the same places to breed and the same places to spend winter at.
In 1991, there was about 178 birds in the US Atlantic, and in total 3,451. As of 2019, the current Piping Plover population in the Atlantic Coast was 4,016. This more than the total found back in 1991, meaning that the recovery plan is working but there is still work to be done.
RECOVERY PLAN
Description of Recovery Plan
The updated recovery plan was created in 2016. It goes in depth about the breeding portion of the range and the coastal migration. Also the threats, actions, and research needed to help the population of the Piping Plovers. This recovery was written in a way that could help all of the different Piping Plover populations that are found in different regions. The goal is to get the Piping Plovers out of the threatened and endangered list, by taking actions such as keeping the breeding areas from public outreach and monitoring both breeding and migrating areas of the birds. The overall objective of the plan is to re-establish and preserve a viable population of piping plovers; they want to make the likelihood of extinction to less than 5 percent by 2035 in the Northern Great Plains region.
Listing
This species was first listed in 1985 as both threatened and endangered. As of now, it is still listed under threatened and endangered, depending on the region they are found. For example, in the Great Lakes watershed region (in US and Canada), it is considered endangered, and in the Atlantic Coast and Northern Great Plains region (Canada, US, and Mexico) they are listed as threatened
Cause of Listing and Main Threats to its' Continued Existence
Climate Change → increase in water flows often flood the habitat of the Piping Plover, change in precipitation patterns, global warming, etc
Habitat destruction → implements of river infrastructure like dams, channels, and other water diversions
Human disturbance → since they camouflage so well with the sand and rocks it could be hard for people to see them, putting them in danger of being: stepped on, scared away, stressed
Predation → top predators: raccoons, foxes, skunks, etc.
Invasive plants → affect nesting areas
Actions that Have Benefited the Piping Plover
Controlling human access to nesting areas → add a picture
Monitoring breeding grounds and activity → Observing and understanding local trends that include reproductive success of the Piping Plover population
Managing sand and gravel mining areas, mining oil wells, and location of power lines
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
Be more aware of your surroundings and ground when visiting the beach
When taking your dog with you to the beach, make sure it is on a leash
Clean after yourself when eating at the beach
Be on the lookout for signs and maintain your distance
Get informed! (: http://ctwaterbirds.blogspot.com
From the sites I used to get my information, these two were my favorite. If interested, do not hesitate to explore them.
If interested in donating to help conserve birds, including the Piping Plover, follow this link:
REFERENCES
8 Ways to Help Piping Plovers. (2020, April 02). Retrieved from
Piping Plover Critical Habitat Questions and Answers. (n.d.). Retrieved from
Piping Plover Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (n.d.). Retrieved from
Species Profile. (n.d.). Retrieved from
The Cooper Ornithological Society (1993) Distribution and Abundance of Piping Plovers: Results and Implications of the 1991 International Census Retrieved from
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (2015). Recovery Plan for the Northern Great Plains piping plover (Charadrius melodus) in two volumes. Volume I: Draft breeding recovery plan for the Northern Great Plains piping plover (Charadrius melodus) 132 pp. and Volume II: Draft revised recovery plan for the wintering range of the Northern Great Plains piping plover (Charadrius melodus) and Comprehensive conservation strategy for the piping plover (Charadrius melodus) in its coastal migration and wintering range in the continental United States. Denver, Colorado. 166 pp. Retrieved from
Vinelli, R. (n.d.). Charadrius melodus (piping plover). Retrieved from
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