Status: Endangered in the watershed of the Great Lakes, threatened in the remainder
of its range (50 FR 50726; December 11, 1985). Critical habitat has not been designated.
Description: The piping plover is a small shorebird about seven inches (18 cm) long with a
wingspan of about 15 inches (38 cm). Adults have sand-colored upper parts and white undersides. During
the breeding season, piping plovers have a single dark band across the breast and forehead. They can be
distinguished from similar species by their bright orange legs.
Life History: Piping plovers arrive on their breeding grounds along the Atlantic Coast in late March
and on their prairie breeding grounds in early May. Males defend territories and attract females with aerial
displays. Piping plovers are monogamous and both parents participate in all stages of parental care. Four
eggs are typically laid in a shallow nest scrape and hatching occurs 25 to 31 days after completion of the
clutch. Adults depart from breeding areas as early as the first week in July. Piping plovers feed on a variety
of invertebrates, including worms, crustaceans, and insects.
Habitat: Piping plovers nest on sandy beaches along the ocean or lakes. Along rivers, piping
plovers use the bare areas of islands or sandbars. They also nest on the pebbly mud of interior alkali lakes
and ponds. Birds nesting on gravel have higher reproductive success than those nesting on alkali. During
the winter, piping plovers use algal, mud, and sand flats along the Gulf Coast. Spoil islands in the intracoastal
waterway are also used.
Distribution: Historically, piping plovers bred along the Atlantic Coast, on the Northern Great Plains,
and around the Great Lakes. Piping plovers winter along the southern Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and in the
Bahamas and West Indies. Although drastically reduced, remnant populations occur throughout their
historic range. Piping plovers migrate through Oklahoma each spring and fall.
Causes of Decline: Piping plovers have been drastically reduced in number, due to the loss of
beach habitat and to the modification of habitat through the channelization and damming of rivers. These
practices eliminate sandbars and allow the growth of vegetation on nesting areas. Nesting success of
piping plovers on beaches used by humans is much lower than on isolated beaches, because of disturbance.
Recovery Needs: Top needs for piping plover recovery include monitoring population trends,
managing and protecting populations and their habitat, and further research on the general ecology of
the species.
Other information: The piping plover recovery plan was completed in 1988. Hunters almost
eliminated the species in the early 1900s. However, because of strict protection, populations recovered by
the 1940s. The current decrease in numbers has resulted from habitat loss. Currently, the population of
piping plovers is estimated at approximately 5,000 individuals.
