Piping Plover Management

The birds arrive to nest in late March along the Atlantic coast. The nests are usually located in shallow depressions near vegetation and often times are surrounded by shells. The first eggs to appear show up in late April and the nests usually have three to four eggs in them. The eggs are cream-colored with dark brown flecks located on the surface. Both the male and female incubate the eggs. The average amount of time that the eggs take to hatch is around twenty-seven days. The young birds leave the nest within an hour of hatching. It takes about 28 days for the young to fledge, but will stay with their parents until migration.

There are several reasons why the piping plover is an enda

Usually people will not economically benefit from protecting an endangered species. Some landowners will be burdened more than others. Sometimes the results are not pleasing to the people that have spent a lot of time and money into the project. All of these factors produce hardships on the American public, but the preservation of an endangered species is priceless.

Management of the piping plover habitat is often difficult and expensive under the

5% in the U.S. Great Plains and the Canadian Prairie. Target recovery numbers were met only for Saskatchewan but were approached in Alberta and New England” (Canadian Journal of Zoology). Results from the censuses suggest that piping plover distribution and habitat use vary depending on water conditions.

The piping plover populations in the Great Lakes region have been stable and even increased slightly. This is thought to be because of the low prey abundance and the low amount of toxins that are introduced to the population in this region. Studies of marked birds have indicated that some of the Great Lakes’ birds migrate to the southern Atlantic coastal region and interact with birds there.

A recovery plan has been developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service in hopes to remove the piping plover from the endangered species list. The objectives are: “(1) achieving well-distributed increases in numbers and productivity of breeding pairs, and (2) providing for long-term protection of breeding and wintering plovers and their habitat.” (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).

Many management practices have been implemented with high costs to taxpayers and the people who recreate at these nesting sites. Beach development has been affected by creating conservation easements, acquisition, and zoning. All construction of commercial properties should take place outside of the nesting areas. Developers are warned that attempts to stabilize the shoreline will degrade habitat and will most likely hinder the ability to receive permits to commercialize the area. Property owners are encouraged to limit their recreational use of the beaches to prevent the disruption of the nesting sites.

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