A pale sand-colored shorebird with a single black breast band and bright orange legs. Their melodic "peep-lo" calls give them their name. Federally endangered (Great Lakes) and threatened elsewhere due to beach disturbance and habitat loss.

Native status: Native; threatened/endangered

§ Quick facts

SizeBody 15–19 cm (5.9–7.5 in); wingspan 38–47 cm
Weight42–63 g (1.5–2.2 oz)
LifespanWild 5 years; oldest documented 11
OrderCharadriiformes
FamilyCharadriidae

§ Encyclopedia

The piping plover is a sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange-red legs, a black band across the forehead from eye to eye, and a black stripe running along the breast line. This chest band is usually thicker in males during the breeding season, and it is the only reliable way to tell the sexes apart. The bird is difficult to see when it is standing still, as it blends well with open, sandy beach habitats. It typically runs in short, quick spurts and then stops.

Source: Wikipedia — Piping plover Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Pale sand-colored shorebird with single black breast band; bright orange legs and bill (breeding).

Similar species. Snowy Plover (smaller, paler). Killdeer (larger, two breast bands).

Voice. Soft melodic "peep-lo" calls.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Insects, marine invertebrates, occasionally small fish.

Behavior. Nests on sandy beaches and gravel bars. Famously vulnerable to beach disturbance. Eastern Atlantic and Great Lakes populations federally endangered.

§ Range

Atlantic coast, Great Lakes, northern Great Plains

§ Habitat

Sandy beaches, alkaline flats, sandbars in large rivers

§ Threats

Beach disturbance during nesting, vehicles on beaches, predator subsidies (raccoons), sea-level rise.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the piping plover is currently classified as Near Threatened.

§ What helps

Respect beach closures. Keep dogs leashed and off nesting beaches. Support beach predator management.

Support our work More ways to help

§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • USFWS Piping Plover Recovery
  • National Audubon Society
  • iNaturalist
  • IUCN Red List 2018