Piping plover  (Charadrius melodus)

Range

Breeding occurs in the U.S. and Canada, along the Atlantic coast (Newfoundland to North Carolina) and, inland, from central Canada through the northern Great Plains and the western Great Lakes region (6). During winter, the species is found in the southern U.S. on the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts from North Carolina south to Mexico, and the Bahamas and West Indies (4).

View a distribution map for this species at UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Habitat

Piping plovers nest on exposed sandy or gravely beaches, sandflats, reservoirs or river sandbars, as well as alkali wetlands. Sparsely vegetated areas that are slightly raised in elevation are preferred (4).

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