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Piping Plover Frequently Asked Questions How can I recognize a piping plover?
Piping plovers (left) look similar to the more common Killdeer
(below). However, piping plovers are smaller, weighing only 1.5 to 2 ounces,
compared with 2.65 to 4.52 ounces for the killdeer. Killdeer have two bands
across the breast, while piping plover adults only have
Where do least terns nest? In South Dakota, piping plovers nest on unvegetated sandbar islands and shorelines near the river. Since they eat benthic maroinvertebrates (insects and larvae that live in wet sand), they nest near to water and their food source. Historically, piping plovers nested along the entire Missouri River, but since dam construction, there is much less habitat available. Today, piping plovers only nest on Lake Oahe, and from the Fort Randall Dam to about Ponca, Nebraska. Piping plovers also nest along the shorelines of alkaline wetlands.
Why are some islands/areas of shoreline fenced off? Piping plovers are extremely sensitive to disturbance. Like the killdeer, they will perform a broken wing display to lead intruders away from eggs or young. This activity not only wastes a lot of precious energy, but it also leaves the eggs and young vulnerable to predators or the weather, increasing the likelihood that they will die from exposure. Please respect signed areas and stay out!
How many piping plovers are there? There have been three international censuses of piping plovers, in 1991, 1996, and 2001. In 2001, the total number of adult piping plovers counted, including piping plovers on the Northern Great Plains, Atlantic Coast, and Great Lakes Region, was 5,945. In the Northern Great Plains alone, extending from Kansas through Alberta, Canada, 2,953 adult birds were counted. The report from the 2001 International Piping Plover Census can be viewed at http://fresc.usgs.gov/staff/haig/piping/2001_Intl_Piping_Plover_Census.pdf. Piping plovers on the Missouri River have been surveyed extensively since 1993. The numbers have varied widely, from a low of 86 adults in 1997, to a high of 1,587 in 2004. In South Dakota, piping plover numbers have ranged from a low of 38 in 1996 to a high of 580 birds in 2004. As you can see, around one-third to one-half of all of the piping plovers on the Missouri River nest in South Dakota!
How can I help? Share your enthusiasm with others, and make sure that they understand how important it is to enjoy piping plovers from a distance without disturbing them. Volunteer your time and energy to conservation agencies and organizations in efforts to restore cottonwood forests for future bald eagle habitat. Local Pierre, South Dakota organizations include the Missouri Breaks Audubon Chapter and the High Plains Wildlife Association. Be aware of legislation affecting conservation efforts. Contact your elected representatives at all government levels. Also, report anyone you see disturbing marked nesting areas by calling the TIPS hotline at 605-945-2911. References: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Website. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Killdeer.html
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a
single band. Piping plovers have a light-sandy colored back, compared with the
darker brown back of the killdeer. Piping plovers can be recognized at a
distance by their haunting, melodic call. %20(Custom).jpg)
