Piping Plovers Need Your Help

Piping Plovers Need Your Help

We are the main reason their population is in trouble.

By Ashley Mayou

      What is a Piping Plover? [3][4]

The Piping Plover is a sand-colored shorebird. They only weigh 2 ounces and they are 7 inches long. From March to April the males begin courting the females. The males are the ones who dig small holes (called scrapes) in the sand and then the females choose which one to lay their eggs in. 

They lay up to four eggs but fewer than two are able to survive long enough to have their wing feathers develop enough so that they can fly. The chicks will follow their parents around to learn how to find food such as marine worms, invertebrates, crustaceans, mollusks, and beetles. Food for the Piping Plovers can be found in ocean, ephemeral pools, bayside intertidal zone (the sand that is exposed only during low tide), the wrack line (the part of the beach where organic material accumulates), and sparse vegetation.

   Geographic and Population Changes [2] 

During the 19^th century Piping plovers were especially common alongside the Atlantic coast. Then commercial hunting wiped them out when their feathers were sought after to decorate hats. Then the Migratory Bird Treaty Act was introduced in 1918 and their numbers recovered significantly. 

In the 1940s they hit a 20^th century peak only to be brought down again by increased development and beach recreation. In 1986 there were only 790 breading pairs surviving on the Atlantic coast. Because of this in 1986 the Endangered Species Act protected them. Even though the population has more than doubled there are still less than 2,000 breeding pairs alive today.

Yellow - Great Lakes Population, Red - Northeast Population

   Listing Date and Type of Listing [5] 

The Piping Plover was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1986. Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region is endangered and the Northeast Region is threatened. The Great Lakes-Biig Rivers Region is located in the Great Lakes, Canada (Ont.), and in the watershed in the States of IL, IN, MI, MN, NY, OH, PA, and WI. The Northeast Region is the rest of the area that the Piping Plover has been found in.

          Threats [2][3]

The main reason that the Piping Plover is in trouble today is because of habitat loss due to natural disasters, development and other human made disturbances. These disturbances consist of people, pets, kites and fireworks. When any of these get too close to a nest the parents who are incubating the eggs could get scared off and leave the nest. When the parents leave the nest then the chicks temperatures are not controlled and they can overheat or cool down. This damages the chicks development. 

Another Way that humans are interfering in the development of the chicks is by leaving behind dents in the sand from vehicle movement that are big enough for the young chicks to get stuck in. Chicks can also be swept up and killed by beach raking machines. Even if they are not killed, the machines could be raking away a crucial food source for not only the chicks but also the adults. The main way we can help the Piping Plover is by making sure to stay clear of their nests. That means you, your dog, kite, fireworks and car.

         Recovery Plan [6] 

There is a 9-step recovery plan in place for the Piping Plover as of March 16^th, 2016.

Step 1 is to reduce threats from habitat loss and degradation.

Step 2 is to reduce the human caused threats.

Step 3 is to monitor the piping plover status and the management efforts that are in place and ongoing.

Step 4 is to act upon threats from contaminants.

Step 5 is to evaluate and act upon threats from predation.

Step 6 is to improve the use of regulatory tools that previously exist.

Step 7 is to provide long-term protection for them and their habitat.

Step 8 is to do research to inform the conservation efforts.

Step 9 is to evaluate the recovery efforts.

    What can you do?

You can help by keeping human disturbances such as kites, fireworks, and cars off of beaches where the Piping Plovers are living. 

Another way you can help is by keeping your dogs on leashes when they are on the beach.

Spread the word and let others know how they can also help!

Other resources

For more information visit https://www.fws.gov/northeast/pipingplover/ and http://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?sId=6039

[1] "Google Maps." Google Maps. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016. <https://www.google.com/maps/@38.1819994,-103.2398789,3059641m/data=!3m1!1e3>

[2] "Northeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service." Northeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016. <https://www.fws.gov/northeast/pipingplover/>

[3] "Recovery Strategies for Piping Plovers in Managed Coastal Landscapes." Biological Conservation 60.3 (1992): 222. Web. 29 Nov. 2016. <https://www.fws.gov/northeast/pdf/Plover_management.pdf>

[4] Service, U.s. Fish & Wildlife. Cats and Dogs and Birds on the Beach (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 29 Nov. 2016. <https://www.fws.gov/northeast/pipingplover/pdf/catseat.pdf>

[5] Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife. "Species Profile for Piping Plover (Charadrius Melodus)." Species Profile for Piping Plover (Charadrius Melodus). N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016. <http://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?sId=6039>

[6] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Volume II: Draft Revised Recovery Plan for the Wintering Range of the Northern Great Plains Piping Plover and Comprehensive Conservation Strategy for the Piping Plover in Its Coastal Migration and Wintering Range in the Continental United States." N.p., July 2015. Web. 29 Nov. 2016. <http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/Vol%20II%20NGP%20Draft%20Revised%20Winter%20Rec%20Plan%206_05_15_2.pdf>

[7] 55_29040_234559_michaelmilicia_pipingploverandch. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov.2016.<http://www.audubon.org/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_inline/public/55_29040_234559_michaelmilicia_pipingploverandch.jpg?itok=bnJV1NIH>

[8] 94574b44b847698996248fac20decc1b. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016. <https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/94/57/4b/94574b44b847698996248fac20decc1b.jpg>