Albertas Piping Plover

Alberta’s Photo here position over Piping Plover top of this box (Charadrius melodus)

WAYNE LYNCH endangered status Description Population The piping plover is a bluebird-sized The North American population of this Alberta: Endangered; shorebird occasionally seen on the species is declining. In Alberta, evidence uplisted from isolated beaches, mudflats and sandflats indicates that piping plovers no longer Threatened in 2000 of lakes and sloughs. It is well breed on lakes where they traditionally Saskatchewan: camouflaged in its habitat, with a white occurred. Only 150 plovers were Endangered underside and a pale brown to grey back, counted during the 2001 International Manitoba: Endangered head, and wings. It has a black stripe Piping Plover Census, down from 276 in Canada (COSEWIC): across the forehead from eye to eye, a 1996. The majority of the Alberta Endangered long white stripe above each eye, and a population is generally found on fewer USA: Atlantic and Great than 10 lakes in any one year, making Plains populations are single black band across the chest. Threatened; Great them particularly susceptible to Lakes population is disturbance. The use of specific lakes Endangered. Listed as Distribution within the piping plover’s range, as well globally Vulnerable by Three distinct populations of piping as the population size, varies from year the IUCN plover are recognized in North America: to year in Alberta. the Atlantic coast population, which breeds from southwestern Habitat Newfoundland to South Carolina; the Great Lakes population, which is Breeding sites are usually situated on restricted to southern Lake Superior and unvegetated or sparsely vegetated sand northwestern Lake Michigan; and the and gravel beaches adjacent to hyper- Great Plains population, which breeds saline or alkali (rich in mineral salts) from central Alberta to Lake of the Woods water bodies. The piping plover nest is a in Ontario, and south to northern shallow bowl in sand or gravel, usually Oklahoma. lined with pebbles. Periodic high-water events may restrict beach width and The piping plover occurs in the temporarily limit the availability of southeastern part of Alberta, in a patchy nesting habitat, but as water levels distribution bounded by Edmonton, recede, unvegetated shorelines and Lethbridge and St. Paul. This range gravel deposits are exposed, which includes the Parkland and Grassland provide breeding habitat for several (northern fescue and mixed-grass areas) years thereafter. Natural Regions. The piping plover is migratory, staying in Alberta from late April to early August. Most individuals Threats banded in Alberta have been observed Natural water level fluctuations are overwintering on the coast of Texas, critical to the piping plover as they although others have been seen in remove encroaching vegetation and Florida, Georgia, and Mexico. Some birds expose appropriate nesting habitat on also winter on the Caribbean islands. endangered Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)

lake or pond shorelines. Problems may result government-regulated activities will be when water levels of lakes are stabilized for strengthened to ensure no loss of nests due to recreation or other uses or during long periods managed activities. A variety of approaches of drought. Other threats include development are being used to protect habitat in of habitat on the winter range, nest predation, cooperation with landowners. Landowners and livestock activity, industrial development, off- disposition holders will be contacted to road vehicles and competition with people for discuss voluntary conservation measures and/ the use of beaches. Human activity, particularly or negotiate cooperative management ATV use, on the shores of breeding beaches strategies. can destroy nests and interfere with nesting behaviour. What You Can Do To Help As a member of the public, a land manager, Management or an industrial developer: The piping plover is an “Endangered” species · Report any observations of piping plovers or in Alberta, and it is illegal to harm these birds their nests to the nearest office of the Fish and or their nests in the province, anywhere or at Wildlife Division, Alberta Sustainable Resource any time. Development. The Alberta government and other partners · Adopt grazing management practices that have been monitoring the piping plover avoid livestock use of breeding beaches during population in our province since the 1980s. the plover breeding period (early May – mid- Management to support this species has July). included protecting habitat by means of long- term cooperative agreements with · Limit your recreational activity on and landowners, protecting nests by using preferably avoid piping plover breeding predator exclosures, managing nesting beaches during the nesting period. beaches to reduce the impacts of cattle, land · Facilitate access to piping plover beaches for purchase and public education. Alberta also Fish and Wildlife staff and partners to conduct participates on the Prairie Piping Plover inventories on this species. Recovery Team, coordinated by the Canadian · Contact wildlife management staff at the Wildlife Service. Despite these efforts, the nearest Fish and Wildlife Division office to Alberta piping plover population remains very discuss ways that you can modify industrial small and vulnerable. activity to minimize impacts on the piping Key to conserving this species is the continued plover and ways that you can help monitor and increased protection of its nesting sites populations or assist in the recovery of this from disturbance. Because the breeding species. population moves between lakes from year to year, all potential breeding sites must be protected, even when they are not in use, to prevent any reduction in habitat. The Alberta Piping Plover Recovery Team, consisting of representatives from government, industry, non-governmental organizations, and land users has been established, and a provincial recovery plan has been approved. As a result, government land use management systems on Crown land and

May 2002 For more information on Alberta’s Species At Risk: http://www3.gov.ab.ca/srd/fw/riskspecies/