Piping plovers are small, threatened shorebirds that nest in three geographic regions of North America: along the Atlantic coast, the northern Great Plains, and the Great Lakes. Their nesting habitat preferences are very specific, and human disturbance is a major threat to their survival. Understanding where and how piping plovers nest is key for their conservation.
Piping Plover Life History
Piping plovers are migratory birds that winter along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, from North Carolina to Mexico. They begin returning to their breeding grounds in late March or April. The breeding grounds stretch across North America in three distinct populations:
- Atlantic Coast population – nests on coastal beaches from North Carolina to Newfoundland
- Great Plains population – nests on inland prairie alkali wetlands and river shorelines in parts of the Great Plains
- Great Lakes population – nests along shorelines of the Great Lakes in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ontario, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio
Piping plovers nest in shallow depressions in open, sandy or gravelly areas with little vegetation. Their camouflaged, sand-colored eggs and chicks are very difficult to see against the pale backdrop. Plovers will renest up to two times if their first or second clutch is lost due to flooding, predation, or human disturbance. After a clutch hatches, both parents share incubation and chick rearing duties. Chicks fledge and leave the breeding grounds by late July or August.
Nesting Habitat Requirements
Piping plovers have specific habitat requirements for nesting:
- Open, sparsely vegetated areas, including sand beaches, alkali wetlands, and gravel bars and shorelines along rivers, lakes and reservoirs
- Substrates varying from fine sands up to pebbles – they avoid areas with much larger rocks
- Gently sloping areas near water, with optimal sites less than 2 kilometers away from water
- Elevated areas like beaches, dunes, flats that provide visibility and reduce risk of flooding
These habitats provide camouflage for the sand-colored adults, chicks, and eggs while allowing the plovers to easily scan for predators and access food resources like invertebrates.
Atlantic Coast Population
The Atlantic coast breeding population nests on coastal beaches spanning over 2,000 miles, from North Carolina up to Newfoundland. Barrier island beaches and sand spits are preferred nesting areas in many regions.
Some key nesting beaches by state include:
- North Carolina: Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout National Seashore
- Virginia: Assateague Island, Wallops Island, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
- Maryland: Assateague Island
- Delaware: Fowler Beach, Pickering Beach, Reed Beach
- New Jersey: Sandy Hook, Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge
- New York: Fire Island, Jones Beach, Rockaway Beach
- Rhode Island: Napatree Point, Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge
- Massachusetts: Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, Plum Island, Crane Beach
- New Hampshire: Seabrook Beach, Hampton Beach
- Maine: Popham Beach State Park, Reid State Park, Roque Bluffs State Park
- Canada: Prince Edward Island National Park, Nova Scotia barrier islands
These open, undisturbed beaches provide ideal conditions for nesting, feeding, and chick-rearing. However, coastal development and expanding human recreation threaten many nesting areas.
Great Plains Population
In the Great Plains, piping plovers nest around prairie wetlands and along major river systems. They seek out barren shorelines and islands on inland alkali lakes, freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and rivers. Major nesting areas include:
- Prairie alkali wetlands in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Canada
- Reservoirs along the Missouri River in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska
- Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota
- Lake Audubon in North Dakota
- Lake of the Woods in Minnesota
- Alkali lakes in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
- Platte River in Nebraska
- Niobrara River in Nebraska
Shoreline habitat is threatened by factors like expanding vegetation, declining water flows, and human recreation. Conservation efforts focus on providing suitably bare, open shoreline nesting and foraging habitat.
Great Lakes Population
The Great Lakes piping plover population nests along shorelines and beaches in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Ontario. Major nesting sites include:
- Beaches at Duluth and Superior, Minnesota
- Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin
- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Ludington State Park, and Tawas Point State Park in Michigan
- Long Point and Wasaga Beach, Ontario
- Presque Isle State Park, Pennsylvania
Habitat management involves maintaining wide sand beaches with open cobble or sand substrates optimal for nesting. Expanding vegetation is a major threat to nesting plovers.
Factors Influencing Nest Site Selection
Piping plovers choose nest sites based on several habitat criteria:
- Open terrain with wide visibility to spot predators
- Substrate matches egg plumage for camouflage
- Sparse vegetation due to inability of chicks to thermoregulate when wet
- Close proximity to water and food resources
- Higher elevations to avoid flooding
- Lack of human disturbance
Their habitat preferences result in nests being placed in very exposed locations. This makes them highly vulnerable to predators, weather events, and human interference.
Nest Description
Piping plover nests are quite simple – just small scrapes or depressions in the sand or gravel. The adults use their feet to hollow out a shallow, rounded indentation about 2 inches deep and 3-4 inches across. This provides minimal structure to cradle the eggs. The eggs’ mottled sand-colored pattern camouflages them in the nest.
Nests typically contain 4 eggs, though occasionally 3 or 5. The eggs are large relative to the small plovers, averaging 1.5 inches long by 1.1 inches wide and tan to buff-colored with dark brown spotting.
Both the male and female plover incubate the eggs for about 28 days before they hatch. The precocial downy chicks are able to move within hours and fledge in 25-35 days. They are tan, buff, and white colored with a single black breastband. Parents will brood chicks for several days before they become independent.
Nesting Chronology
The breeding season last about 4-5 months for piping plovers:
- Late March to April – Arrive on breeding grounds
- April to mid-May – Nest initiation and egg laying
- May – June – Incubation lasts 25-28 days
- June – July – Chicks hatch and are raised for 25-35 days
- July – early August – Chicks fledge and migrate south
Most breeding activities occur during April through July, though timing varies across their range. The early nesters are more successful as they avoid seasonal rainstorms that can flood out nests. Many plovers will re-nest up to 2 times if previous nests fail.
Threats to Nesting Habitat
Several major threats put pressure on piping plover nesting habitat and success:
- Beach recreation and development – destroys and fragments habitat
- Increased predation from high predator populations
- Sand extraction and beach stabilization projects
- Expanded vegetation on nesting beaches and shorelines
- Water level management that floods nests and reduces habitat
- Climate change increasing storms and erosion
Conservation efforts aim to protect and manage breeding sites, limit human disturbance, control predators, and mimic natural coastal processes. Habitat loss continues to hamper recovery efforts for piping plovers across their nesting range.
Protection and Conservation Status
All three piping plover populations are federally listed as threatened or endangered in the U.S. The Great Lakes population is listed as endangered, while the Atlantic Coast and Great Plains are listed as threatened. Providing protected nesting habitat is a key recovery goal.
Major conservation protections include:
- Endangered Species Act protections since 1985
- Protected breeding sites across federal, state, local, and private conservation lands
- Population monitoring and habitat management at key sites
- Public education campaigns to limit human disturbance
- Predator management in breeding areas
- Restoration of natural coastal processes
Recovery will depend on managing human recreation, maintaining habitat, and fostering coastal resilience. Continued conservation efforts are needed to protect piping plovers and allow their populations to rebound.
Conclusion
Piping plovers have very specific habitat needs for nesting – open sandy beaches, barren alkali lakeshores, and wide river shorelines with little vegetation. Their camouflaged eggs blend in seamlessly to the sand or pebble substrates. However, the exposed nests are highly vulnerable to flooding, predators, and human interference. Ongoing conservation measures aim to protect essential breeding habitat and manage threats to increase their chances of successfully nesting and raising chicks. With coordinated efforts across their Atlantic, Great Plains, and Great Lakes breeding ranges, the future of these threatened shorebirds can be secured.
