piping plover
1. Bird Name: The bird in focus is the Piping Plover. The scientific or Latin name is Charadrius melodus.
2. Appearance: Piping Plovers have a rounded, compact body with a sandy tan coloration. These two factors make these birds blend seamlessly into sandy environments. It features a white underbelly and orange legs. The bill is also orange but displays a black tip. Both sexes of Piping Plovers sport a single black neck band, but during the breeding season, males often have a thicker band. Piping Plovers also boast a distinctive black bar across their forehead.
3. Size: The Piping Plover on average measures around 17.5 cm (7 inches) in length, with a wingspan of 35.6 cm (14 inches). The average weight of an adult Piping Plover can range from 43 to 63 grams.
4. Habitat & Distribution: Piping Plovers inhabit the coastal beaches, alkali flats, and sand flats of North America. They are found across the Atlantic coast—from Newfoundland and the Gulf of St. Lawrence to North Carolina, and as far west as Kansas. In the non-breeding season, they migrate to the Gulf of Mexico, the southern Atlantic coast of the United States, and the Caribbean.
5. Interesting Facts:
– Piping Plovers are known for their skulking behavior; they typically freeze when threatened, blending into their sandy surroundings.
– Despite their small size, these birds are known for their long-distance migrations, traveling up to a few thousand kilometers between their breeding and wintering grounds.
– A cultural note is that these birds are celebrated in parts of the U.S; they even have a festival in their honor in North Dakota.
6. Diet: The diet of a Piping Plover consists mostly of invertebrates. They prefer beetles, marine worms, and crustaceans, but also occasionally eat plant material.
7. Behavior & Sounds: Piping Plovers are typically solitary and territorial, particularly during the breeding season. Often remembered for their scurrying walk, they move in short starts and stops when foraging for food. Their song, as their name suggests, is a melodious piping sound.
8. Conservation Status: According to the IUCN Red List, the Piping Plover is classified as Near Threatened, with their population undergoing a long-term decline due to habitat loss, disturbance, and predation.
9. Lifespn: In the wild, Piping Plovers typically live up to approximately 11 years. Lifespan in captivity is not specifically recorded due to their protected status.
10. Additional Notes:
– Local names: In French, the bird is known as “Pluvier siffleur,” and in Spanish, it’s called “Chorlito píco grueso.”
– Interaction with Humans: Human activities, particularly shoreline development and recreation, have led to drastic declines in Piping Plover populations. However, due to conservation efforts, their numbers have stabilized since the mid-1990s.
– Role in Ecosystem: As predators of invertebrates, Piping Plovers control their population and thus contribute to the health of their coastal ecosystems. These birds also serve as an ecological indicator, signaling the overall health of beach habitats.
