Features: The Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), named for its "piping" call, is a small stubby- billed shorebird with a thin, often incomplete, black neck band. It lays its eggs directly on the beach in what is little more than a shallow, scraped out area in the sand. The plover's sandy colouration provides excellent camouflage as it forages for insects and small crustaceans along the water's edge and in small beach pools.

Status: Endangered Provincially and Nationally

Range: The Piping Plover has a wide, but very localized distribution from the Atlantic coast, through the Great Lakes region, and west to Nebraska, South Dakota and Alberta. Formerly more widespread in Ontario, numbers had declined to as low as five pairs by 2003. However, the Piping Plover is reestablishing on the Great Lakes in Ontario. In 2008, Piping Plover nests were found at Wasaga Beach and near Sauble Beach. Range Maps

Threats: Loss or degradation of habitat resulting from the recreational use of beaches is a serious threat throughout the plover's range. In addition, high water levels have resulted in the loss of beach habitat on the Great Lakes and elsewhere. Increases in predators such as the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), raccoon (Procyon lotor)and ring-billed gull(Larus delawarensis) have contributed to the poor breeding success of this beach nesting bird.

Protection: The Piping Plover is listed under Ontario's Endangered Species Act, which protects the species and its habitat. The federal Migratory Birds Convention Act also protects this shorebird. The National Piping Plover Recovery Team is spearheading implementation of a recovery plan which recommends beach closures, the installation of predator exclosures at nests, predator control, and reintroductions of plovers to previously occupied sites.

Text Sources: Austen et al. 1994; Bell 1978; Bull and Farrand 1977; Godfrey 1986

Last Modified Date: May 2009