Piping Plover - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

  • Kingdom: Animalia

  • Phylum: Chordata

  • Class: Aves

  • Order: Charadriiforme

  • Family: Charadriidae

  • Genus: Charadrius

  • Species: melodus

Piping Plover along the lower Platte River
Piping Plover along the lower Platte River

There is uncertainty whether Piping Plovers should be divided into two separate subspecies:

  • Charadrius melodus melodus: This subspecies would consist of the Piping Plovers that nest along the Atlantic Coast
  • Charadrius melodus circumcinctus: This subspecies would consist of the Piping Plovers that nest in the interior of North America including the Great Plains and Great Lakes.