The Piping Plover

The Piping Plover

Status• Listed as threatened in 1978• Designated as endangered in 1985 by

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).

• Two subspecies (both listed as endangered in 2001)• Listed as endangered in 2000 by the province

of Nova Scotia under the provincial Endangered Species Act.

Recovery GoalsAtlantic Canada

• To achieve a population of at least 670 adults (335 pairs)To achieve a productivity level above 1.5 chicks/pair/year.

• To achieve habitat protection objectives of a minimum of 65% of nesting plovers in Atlantic Canada protected.

• To evaluate the longer term goal of 800 adults (400 pairs) in relation to habitat availability.

Charadrius melodus • Small, sparrow-sized

shorebird.• Primarily light grey.• Black band on its breast

and forehead and a partially black tail.

• White rump• Bright orange legs. • Orange bill with a black

tip, which becomes black in winter.

Distribution• Subspecies melodus

breeds along the Atlantic coast from Newfoundland to South Carolina.

• It winters from South Carolina to Florida, and in the Caribbean (Cuba, Bahamas).

• About 25% of Canada's Piping Plovers are found in the Atlantic provinces.

Distribution

• In Canada, the melodus subspecies breeds on the Magdalen Islands, NB, NS, PEI, and NL.

Populations (1991)

Population (2003)• Eastern Canada

population 549 (256 pairs) in 2003.

• 2005 – 444 individuals• NS population 107 (48

pairs) in 2003.• Censuses since 1996

suggest pop. Relatively stable??

• Below recovery team goal (670 adults).

Habitat

• Nest above the normal high-water mark on gently sloping, exposed sandy or gravelly beaches.

• Nest among small cobble and other small beach debris.

Feeding

• They also forage for food on these beaches or sand flats.

• Feed on a variety of beach-dwelling invertebrates, including insects, small crustaceans, and marine worms.

Breeding• Arrive in Eastern Canada

in April or May.• Males arrive first

establish a territory.• They attract females with

dramatic aerial and ground displays.

• They scrape a shallow nest-site in sand or gravel.

• The female selects one of the scrapes.

Nesting

• Clutches usually contain 4 eggs.

• Eggs are laid every other day.

• Incubation lasts for approx. 27-31 days.

• Parents take turns incubating eggs.

Chicks• Chicks are precocial• On their feet and

feeding within a few hours.

• 25 days before they can fly.

• Fledged young and adults head south from late July to early September.

What are the threats?

Why Threatened?

• Considered common during most of the 19th Century.

• Nearly extinct by 1900 due to hunting.

• Peaked in 1940s• Habitat loss

(development, recreation)

• Predation (nests and adults)

• Flooding (nests)

Monitoring Program

• Southern NS.• Three counties, 20-25

beaches.• 71% of NS population

• Field season from late

April to end of August

Monitoring

• Visited beaches weekly

• Monitored # of birds and activity, nesting success, and fledgling success.

• Monitored/measured foraging distances of chicks.

Nest Protection

• Place symbolic fencing and signs around nests.

• Place wire enclosures over nests to keep out predators.

• Enclosed nests visited more frequently.

PVA

Habitat

Education

• Spoke to beach users about piping plover, its status, and minimizing their impact.

• Assisted with nature camps for Cape Sable Island IBA(2003).

Other Duties

• Beach cleanups• Identify nest

predators• Assist CWS staff

(banding) • Assist prov./federal

wildlife enforcement staff.

Other Programs

Banding Program (CWS)

• Each bird banded with USGS (US Geological Survey) band and a colour band.

• Adults have colour bands on the left leg, juveniles have colour band on the right leg.

Guardian Program

• Mostly volunteers• Purpose to decrease

human disturbance• Raise awareness

about the Piping Plover

Links

• Federal Species at Risk http://www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca/

• Nova Scotia Endangered Species List http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/wildlife/endngrd/specieslist.htm

• Species General Status in Nova Scotia http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/wildlife/genstatus/

• COSEWIC http://www.cosewic.gc.ca/index.htm