Piping plover
Charadrius melodus
The piping plover (Charadrius melodus) is a small, sand-colored shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America.
About the Piping plover
The piping plover (Charadrius melodus) is a small, sand-colored shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange-red legs, a black band across the forehead from eye to eye, and a black stripe running along the breast line. This chest band is usually thicker in males during the breeding season, and it is the only reliable way to tell the sexes apart. The bird is difficult to see when it is standing still, as it blends well with open, sandy beach habitats. It typically runs in short, quick spurts and then stops. There are two subspecies of piping plovers: the eastern population is known as Charadrius melodus melodus and the mid-west population is known as C. m. circumcinctus. The bird's name is derived from its plaintive bell-
Fun Facts About Piping plover
- This chest band is usually thicker in males during the breeding season, and it is the only reliable way to tell the sexes apart.
- Their breeding habitat includes beaches and sand flats on the Atlantic coast, the shores of the Great Lakes, and in the mid-west of Canada and the United States.
- The piping plover (Charadrius melodus) is a small, sand-colored shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America.
- Intensive conservation efforts have yielded slow population growth, but only some populations have met the recovery goals set for them.
- Total population was estimated to be between 7600 and 8400 individuals in 2020.
Conservation Status
The Piping plover is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. This species faces threats that could impact its population if conservation measures are not maintained.
Taxonomy & Classification
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Charadriidae |
| Genus | Charadrius |
| Species | Charadrius melodus |
Range & Habitat
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