Beak of the Week – Piping Plover

Of all the plover species found in the United States, none is as universally loved as the Piping Plover. They are easily identified by their orange legs, pale tan upperparts, broken breast band, and stubby bill. Two other similar species to the Piping Plover are Semipalmated Plovers, that can be distinguished by their darker upperparts and complete breast band, and Snowy Plovers, that can be distinguished easily by their black legs and slender bill. All three species are very small, so keep a close eye out for them along our coastal beaches. Piping Plover chicks, in fact, are so small that they weigh about as much as a US quarter! They can also easily be identified by their clear and melodic call, giving them the species name melodus. Though unrelated to its actual etymology, I like to think that their genus name, Charadrius, comes from how charismatic they are.

Besides having gained attention among birders for their cuteness, Piping Plovers have also gained attention among conservationists due to their unsteady populations. Piping Plovers are split into three subspecies based on where they breed: the Great Plains, Atlantic Coast, and Great Lakes. Unfortunately, they are listed as a threatened species within the former two regions and as endangered within the latter region. Although this is unfortunate, it grants them special legal protection and opens opportunities for conservation research that you can be a part of! Nesting Piping Plovers are now being monitored in all three of their breeding regions, and hatched chicks are given bands on their legs to monitor and distinguish individuals. If you find a banded plover, please report their band color combinations online, and your contribution will help protect this wonderful species!

Banding research has already allowed us to learn many things about plovers! Reports of banded individuals have allowed us to better understand their path of migration and build more targeted conservation programs for each of the subspecies, accounting for their breeding grounds, stopover habitats, and wintering habitats. Being able to distinguish individuals also has allowed us to learn many important facts about Piping Plovers, like how they can live up to sixteen years old and return to the same breeding site to reunite with the same mate each year!

Houston Audubon’s Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary primarily sees plovers coming from their breeding grounds in the Great Plains and Great Lakes. You may even see some with flags on their legs, marking where they come from. Those with a yellow flag or light blue flag come from South Dakota and Nebraska, respectively. There is a chance that you find a rare individual with an orange flag, which indicates they came from the Great Lakes! Sandy beaches are very important to Piping Plovers in the winter, which makes them especially vulnerable to development and human disturbance. Bolivar Flats is a great place to find them in abundance and free from these conditions.

Help us protect Bolivar Flats from impending development for the Piping Plover and hundreds of other species that rely on this critical habitat.