Piping Plovers are a state and federally threatened species in Nebraska. They are also considered a Tier 1 At-Risk speices by the Nebraska Legacy Plan. Loss of habitat is the major cause of the decline in Piping Plover numbers. Dams and channelization have altered the natural flow of rivers; dams hold back high water events that historically would cover and scour sandbars, removing vegetation. Channelization causes rivers to run swiftly and deeply, leaving no sandbar habitat within confines of the banks. There are efforts underway by groups such as the Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, and the Whooping Crane Trust to restore historic sandbar habitat that is essential to nesting Piping Plovers.
Historical Accounts
Like the Least Tern, Lewis and Clark described the Piping Plover in their notes. But even before Lewis and Clark made their historic voyage, the Pawnee and certainly other Native American tribes knew of the Piping Plover. In fact, the word ut is plover in the Pawnee vocabulary.
The first record of note of Piping Plovers nesting on sand spill piles was in an article written by Pickwell (1925). The article starts, "On Saturday, May 20, 1922, the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, on its annual bird hike, located a Belted Piping Plover's nest (Charadrius melodus circumcinctus Ridgway), on a strip of sandy beach at Capitol Lake near Lincoln (Nebraska)." It goes on to say that in the previous year or two there had been some dredging activity, and the result was a large sloping beach of sand and gravel. This is where two nests were eventually found. In his notes, Pickwell followed the progression from the point of finding the nests, to the eventual hatching of the eggs.
Appearance
Piping plovers are about the size of a house sparrow, 6 1/2 inches long from beak to tail, and 15 inches from wingtip to wingtip. They are identified by their white chest, gray wings, and a distinctive single black band around their neck and across their forehead (breeding plumage). They are often seen near the shoreline, running in short bursts as they search for insects, their primary diet.
Killdeer (Chardrius vociferus) are often mistaken for piping plovers. However, the Killdeer has two breast bands, a dark brown back and is larger than the plover (10 1/2 inches long). Killdeer are common and are found in a wide range of habitats, including farm fields, lawns, and parking lots, while plovers are not often far from water.
Distribution
Piping Plovers have 3 distinct breeding populations, nesting on east coast beaches, the great lakes, and rivers and wetlands in the Great Plains. There is some debate over whether piping plovers should be divided into two distinct subspecies, the Atlantic subspecies Charadrius melodus melodus and the inland subspecies Charadrius melodus circumcinctus (Haig and Oring 1988). The latter was called the Belted Piping Plover in early publications. Some organizations recognize these subspecies, some do not. Piping plovers winter along the gulf of Mexico and in the southern Atlantic states.
In Nebraska, plovers were once found throughout most major river systems, but their range has been reduced because of habitat loss, most dramatically along the Missouri River.
Migration
Piping plovers migrate to Nebraska to nest. The earliest recorded arrival date is 27 March. The latest date piping plovers have been seen in Nebraska prior to their southward migration is 24 October. Piping Plovers generally migrate south in a specific order, with females leaving first, followed by unpaired males, males with fledglings, and finally unaccompanied juveniles.
Vocalization
Sound byte Courtesy of The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Recordist: Goeffrey A. Keller.
Eggs and Chicks
Piping plovers are territorial and often intersperse their nests in Least Tern colonies. Plovers lay up to 4 eggs in a nest "scrape" that is lined with small pebbles or shells. Eggs hatch after about 28 days, and the chicks, which look like little cotton balls on sticks, leave the nest immediately upon hatching. They will forage for themselves, eating insects. Often females desert the brood several days after hatching, leaving the male to show the young where to find food, and to protect them. Plover chicks will be able to fly in about 3 weeks. Piping Plovers breed the first spring after hatching.
Defensive Behavior
The parents defend the chicks using a broken wing display or "feigning". When a predator approaches, the adult will limp along the ground with one wing up in the air and calling. By pretending to be injured, the adult draws the intruder away from the eggs and chicks. Once the predator has been led a safe distance away, the "broken" wing magically heals and the plover flies back to the nest or chicks.
Plovers nesting in Least Tern colonies have an added advantage of defense. Least Terns react to anything that intrudes into their colonies by dive-bombing and sometimes defecating on them.
Life Span
Piping plovers live an average of six years, with birds known to live 11 years.
Disturbance
Repeated or prolonged disturbances can cause the eggs to become infertile from excess exposure to the sun or be abandoned by the adults. Humans and human activity near nests can cause these disturbances. Humans also bring another form of disturbance - the household pets and pests. Dogs, cats, and rats all have an impact on Piping Plovers.
Predators pose a threat to these birds, particularly at sand and gravel mines. The natural nesting habitat of least terns is high, dry, sparsely-vegetated midstream sand bars. At sand and gravel mines, the areas of dry, sparsely-vegetated sand often are adjacent to areas that have many hiding places for predators, such as behind bushes and trees. Avian predators of least terns include American Kestrels, Great Blue Herons, American Crows, and gulls. Mammalian predators include skunks, raccoons, foxes, and coyotes.
Piping Plover Photo/Video Gallery
Similar Species
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus )
Photo Credit: NebraskaLAND, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission |
Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)Photo Credit: Joel Jorgensen
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