Piping Plover Similar Species Comparison
Similar Species
Wilson's Plover
Breeding adult
Wilson's Plovers have a larger bill than Piping Plovers. They also have beige legs while Piping Plovers have yellow legs year-round.
© Chris Wood | Macaulay LibraryFlorida, April 23, 2007Similar Species
Snowy Plover
Nonbreeding adult
Snowy Plovers have a thinner bill than Piping Plovers. The breast band on Snowy Plovers is incomplete but is usually complete on nonbreeding Piping Plovers.
© Brian Sullivan | Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, January 12, 2013Similar Species
Snowy Plover
Breeding adult
Breeding Snowy Plovers have thinner, all black bills while breeding Piping Plovers have a stubby bill with an orange base. Snowy Plovers have dark legs year-round and Piping Plovers have yellow legs.
© Sam Heinrich | Macaulay LibraryFlorida, February 17, 2016Similar Species
Semipalmated Plover
Juvenile
Juvenile Semipalmated Plovers are darker overall than Piping Plovers.
© Alix d'Entremont | Macaulay LibraryNova Scotia, August 27, 2014Similar Species
Semipalmated Plover
Nonbreeding adult
Semipalmated Plovers are darker overall than Piping Plovers with a darker and more complete breast band.
© Daniel Jauvin | Macaulay LibraryQuebec, October 01, 2016Similar Species
Semipalmated Plover
Breeding adult
Breeding Semipalmated Plovers are darker overall with thicker black breast band than breeding Piping Plovers.
© Ross Gallardy | Macaulay LibraryIllinois, June 11, 2016Similar Species
Killdeer
Adult
Killdeers are larger than Piping Plovers with 2 obvious black breast bands.
© Davey Walters | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, May 27, 2016Similar Species
Sanderling
Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding Sanderlings have a longer bill than Piping Plovers. They also have black (not yellow) legs.
© Ryan Schain | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, November 16, 2014Main Species
Piping Plover
Breeding adult
Round and stocky little plover that frequently stand in a horizontal position. Breeding adults have a short, orange bill with a black tip, a black crown stripe and black neck band.
© Forest Botial-Jarvis | Macaulay LibraryMichigan, May 09, 2020Breeding adult
Forages on shorelines and mudflats; uses stout bill to probe mainly for marine worms.
© Benjamin Clock | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, April 22, 2011Not all videos have sound
Juvenile
Juveniles have a plain face, a stubby black bill, and yellow legs.
© Sue Barth | Macaulay LibraryNew York, August 15, 2016Adult
In flight, note pale rump and underwings.
© Doug Hitchcox | Macaulay LibraryMaine, April 11, 2017Chick
Chicks can walk several hours after hatching. Like adults and juveniles they also have yellow legs.
© Gates Dupont | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, June 04, 2015Nonbreeding adult/immature
Forages alone or in small groups sticking to the higher parts of the shoreline relative to other shorebirds.
© Keith M Kemp | Macaulay LibraryCentral Abaco, Hope Town and Green Turtle Cay, September 24, 2016Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Plovers and Lapwings(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Charadriidae)
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