Where does it live?
Little round Piping Plovers hide in plain sight on sandy ocean and lake shores, blending right in with their sandy gray backs. They nest in soft sand away from the water's edge along the Atlantic Coast, Great Plains, and Great Lakes. They are endangered due to habitat loss, disturbance, and predation.
What it looks like
Adult- An adult is round and stocky with a black beak tip
Chick-Just like their parents
Chick-Just like their parents
Piping plovers and their eggs blend in very well with the sand, which is good camouflage from predators, but it can put them in danger of being stepped on by humans. In some areas, the piping plover is endangered.
The spread of human developments in ocean side and lake shore areas has disturbed or destroyed the nesting site of the piping plover. On some beaches, the nesting areas of piping plovers are closed off so people don't step on the eggs.
This animal is disappearing. We want to change that. |
Behavior
Piping Plovers run quickly along the beach stopping frequently to pull or pick an invertebrate from the sand.
Though they are quick on their feet they do not run as fast as other shore birds.
Piping Plovers run quickly along the beach stopping frequently to pull or pick an invertebrate from the sand.
Though they are quick on their feet they do not run as fast as other shore birds.
nesting
Piping Plovers nest in areas with loose sand above the high tide line. Male Piping Plovers scrape away sand, gravel, and shells with their feet to make a small depression. They make several small depressions or scrapes in the sand within their territory typically near small clumps of grass away from the water's edge, often near Least and Common Terns.