Piping Plover
Charadrius melodus melodus
The Piping Plover nests on wide sandy beaches with little vegetation and a mix of substrates such as pebbles, gravel, and shells. Over one half of the breeding range is found in Canada. In 2023, 32 pairs of Piping Plovers were observed on Prince Edward Island beaches, part of the population of 189 pairs in Atlantic Canada, including the Magdalen Islands.
The key threats to Piping Plovers are predation of eggs and chicks, human disturbance, and habitat loss or degradation. Human disturbance has direct effects on Piping Plovers through the destruction of eggs or nests, and several indirect effects such as distracting birds from nesting and feeding activities. Tire tracks on breeding beaches can trap chicks and make feeding more difficult for both adults and chicks. Climate change poses a growing threat on coastal breeding and wintering grounds. Extreme high tides cause loss of eggs and chicks, while hurricanes can affect migrating adult plovers.