Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)

Kingdom: Animalia

Class: Aves

Order: Ciconiiformes

Family: Charadriidae

Listing Status:    and  

Quick links:Federal RegisterRecoveryCritical HabitatConservation PlansPetitionsLife HistoryOther Resources

General Information

Size: 18 cm (7.25 in) in length. Color: Breeding season: Pale brown above, lighter below; black band across forehead; bill orange with black tip; legs orange; white rump. Male: Complete or incomplete black band encircles the body at the breast. Female: Paler head band; incomplete breast band. Winter coloration: Bill black; all birds lack breast band and head band.

Population detail

The FWS is currently monitoring the following populations of the Piping Plover 

• Population location: Great Lakes watershed in States of IL, IN, MI, MN, NY, OH, PA, and WI and Canada (Ont.)
  Listing status:  Endangered
  
  • States/US Territories in which this population is known to occur:  Illinois , Indiana , Michigan , Minnesota , New York , Ohio , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin
  • USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:  AMAGANSETT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , ELIZABETH ALEXANDRA MORTON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , FERGUS FALLS WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT , MORRIS WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT , TARGET ROCK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
    
  • Countries in which the this population is known to occur:  Canada
  • For more information:  http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/life_histories/B079.html
• Population location: Entire, except those areas where listed as endangered above
  Listing status:  Threatened
  
  • States/US Territories in which this population is known to occur:  Alabama , Colorado , Connecticut , Delaware , Florida , Georgia , Indiana , Iowa , Kansas , Kentucky , Louisiana , Maine , Maryland , Massachusetts , Minnesota , Mississippi , Missouri , Montana , Nebraska , New Hampshire , New Jersey , New York , North Carolina , North Dakota , Ohio , Oklahoma , Puerto Rico , Rhode Island , South Carolina , South Dakota , Texas , Virginia , Wisconsin
  • USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:  ANAHUAC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , ARANSAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , ARROWWOOD NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , AUDUBON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , AUDUBON WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT BACK BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , BAYOU SAUVAGE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , BENTON LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , BIG BOGGY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , BIG BRANCH MARSH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , BLACKBEARD ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , BON SECOUR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , BOWDOIN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , BRAZORIA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , BRETON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , BUFFALO LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , CAPE ROMAIN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , CEDAR ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , CEDAR KEYS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , CHARLES M. RUSSELL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , CHASE LAKE PRAIRIE PROJECT WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT , CHINCOTEAGUE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , CLARENCE CANNON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , COTTONWOOD LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , CROSBY WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT , CURRITUCK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , DELTA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , DESOTO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , DEVILS LAKE WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT , EDWIN B. FORSYTHE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , FISHERMAN ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , HAGERMAN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , HOBE SOUND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , HUTCHINSON LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , IOWA WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT , J. CLARK SALYER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , J. CLARK SALYER WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT , KULM WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT , LACREEK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , LAGUNA ATASCOSA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , LAKE ALICE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , LAKE ILO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , LAKE NETTIE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , LONG LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , LONG LAKE WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT , LOSTWOOD NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , LOSTWOOD WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT , LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , LOWER SUWANNEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , MARAIS DES CYGNES NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , MASHPEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , MCFADDIN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , MEDICINE LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , MERRITT ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , MONOMOY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , NANTUCKET NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , NINIGRET NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , NORTH DAKOTA WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA , NORTHEAST MONTANA WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT , PARKER RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , PEA ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , PINCKNEY ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , POND ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , QUIVIRA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , RACHEL CARSON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , RAINWATER BASIN WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT , SACHUEST POINT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , SAN BERNARD NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , SAND LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , SAND LAKE WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT , SANTA ANA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , SHELL KEYS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , ST. MARKS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , ST. VINCENT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , TEXAS POINT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , TISHOMINGO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , TRINITY RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , TRUSTOM POND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , TYBEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , UPPER SOURIS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , WACCAMAW NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , WASSAW NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , WILLOW LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , WINTERING RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , WOLF ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE  ... Show All Refuges
    
  • Countries in which the this population is known to occur:  Canada , Mexico
  • For more information:  http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/life_histories/B079.html

» Federal Register Documents

» Recovery

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» Critical Habitat

To learn more about critical habitat please see http://criticalhabitat.fws.gov

» Conservation Plans

» Petitions

No petition findings have been published for the Piping Plover.

» Life History

No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.

» Other Resources

NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.