The Piping Plover
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Transcript of The Piping Plover
The Piping Plover
Status• Listed as threatened in 1978• Designated as endangered in 1985 by
The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).
• Two subspecies (both listed as endangered in 2001)• Listed as endangered in 2000 by the province
of Nova Scotia under the provincial Endangered Species Act.
Recovery GoalsAtlantic Canada
• To achieve a population of at least 670 adults (335 pairs)To achieve a productivity level above 1.5 chicks/pair/year.
• To achieve habitat protection objectives of a minimum of 65% of nesting plovers in Atlantic Canada protected.
• To evaluate the longer term goal of 800 adults (400 pairs) in relation to habitat availability.
Charadrius melodus • Small, sparrow-sized
shorebird.• Primarily light grey.• Black band on its breast
and forehead and a partially black tail.
• White rump• Bright orange legs. • Orange bill with a black
tip, which becomes black in winter.
Distribution• Subspecies melodus
breeds along the Atlantic coast from Newfoundland to South Carolina.
• It winters from South Carolina to Florida, and in the Caribbean (Cuba, Bahamas).
• About 25% of Canada's Piping Plovers are found in the Atlantic provinces.
Distribution
• In Canada, the melodus subspecies breeds on the Magdalen Islands, NB, NS, PEI, and NL.
Populations (1991)
Population (2003)• Eastern Canada
population 549 (256 pairs) in 2003.
• 2005 – 444 individuals• NS population 107 (48
pairs) in 2003.• Censuses since 1996
suggest pop. Relatively stable??
• Below recovery team goal (670 adults).
Habitat
• Nest above the normal high-water mark on gently sloping, exposed sandy or gravelly beaches.
• Nest among small cobble and other small beach debris.
Feeding
• They also forage for food on these beaches or sand flats.
• Feed on a variety of beach-dwelling invertebrates, including insects, small crustaceans, and marine worms.
Breeding• Arrive in Eastern Canada
in April or May.• Males arrive first
establish a territory.• They attract females with
dramatic aerial and ground displays.
• They scrape a shallow nest-site in sand or gravel.
• The female selects one of the scrapes.
Nesting
• Clutches usually contain 4 eggs.
• Eggs are laid every other day.
• Incubation lasts for approx. 27-31 days.
• Parents take turns incubating eggs.
Chicks• Chicks are precocial• On their feet and
feeding within a few hours.
• 25 days before they can fly.
• Fledged young and adults head south from late July to early September.
What are the threats?
Why Threatened?
• Considered common during most of the 19th Century.
• Nearly extinct by 1900 due to hunting.
• Peaked in 1940s• Habitat loss
(development, recreation)
• Predation (nests and adults)
• Flooding (nests)
Monitoring Program
• Southern NS.• Three counties, 20-25
beaches.• 71% of NS population
• Field season from late
April to end of August
Monitoring
• Visited beaches weekly
• Monitored # of birds and activity, nesting success, and fledgling success.
• Monitored/measured foraging distances of chicks.
Nest Protection
• Place symbolic fencing and signs around nests.
• Place wire enclosures over nests to keep out predators.
• Enclosed nests visited more frequently.
PVA
Habitat
Education
• Spoke to beach users about piping plover, its status, and minimizing their impact.
• Assisted with nature camps for Cape Sable Island IBA(2003).
Other Duties
• Beach cleanups• Identify nest
predators• Assist CWS staff
(banding) • Assist prov./federal
wildlife enforcement staff.
Other Programs
Banding Program (CWS)
• Each bird banded with USGS (US Geological Survey) band and a colour band.
• Adults have colour bands on the left leg, juveniles have colour band on the right leg.
Guardian Program
• Mostly volunteers• Purpose to decrease
human disturbance• Raise awareness
about the Piping Plover
Links
• Federal Species at Risk http://www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca/
• Nova Scotia Endangered Species List http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/wildlife/endngrd/specieslist.htm
• Species General Status in Nova Scotia http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/wildlife/genstatus/
• COSEWIC http://www.cosewic.gc.ca/index.htm