Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 6.7–7.1 in
17–18 cm - Weight
- 1.5–2.2 oz
43–63 g
Other Names
- Pluvier siffleur (French)
- Chorlitejo picocorto (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- Intruders near a Piping Plover nest are chased and may be pecked or bitten. In Manitoba, one Killdeer was observed entering a Piping Plover territory where it was bitten so hard on the leg that it limped for the rest of the summer.
Habitat
Shore-line
Open sandy beaches, especially above tideline, and alkalai flats.
Food
Insects
Insects and small aquatic invertebrates.
Nesting
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Ground Forager
Searches for prey visually. Runs rapidly, stops, and then pecks or quickly snatches at prey.
Conservation
Near Threatened
Listed as endangered in Canada and the inland United States, threatened along coast. Declines resulted from direct and unintentional harassment by people, dogs, and vehicles, destruction of beach habitat for development, and changes in water level regulation.
Credits
- Haig, S. M. 1992. Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus). In The Birds of North America, No.2 (A. Poole, P.Stettenheim, and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia:The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, DC: The American Ornithologists' Union.