What is a piping plover?
The piping plover (Charadrius melodus), named for its melodic mating call, is a small, pale-colored North American shorebird. The bird’s light sand-colored plumage blends in with the sandy beaches and shorelines which are its primary habitat. It weighs 1-2 ounces (43-63 grams) and is 6-6 inches (17-18 centimeters) long. During the breeding season the legs are bright orange and the short stout bill is orange with a black tip. There are two single dark bands, one around the neck and one across the forehead between the eyes. Plumage and leg color help distinguish this bird from other plovers. The female’s neck band is often incomplete and is usually thinner than the male’s neck band. In winter, the bill turns black, the legs remain orange but pale, and the black plumage bands on the head and neck are lost. Chicks have speckled gray, buff, and brown down, black beaks, orange legs, and a white collar around the neck. Juveniles resemble wintering adults and obtain their adult plumage the spr
