Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Data from the 2006 International Piping Plover Census Data Series 426 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Data from the 2006 International Piping Plover Census By Elise Elliott-Smith and Susan M. Haig, U.S. Geological Survey, and Brandi M. Powers, U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Data Series 426 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior KEN SALAZAR, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2009 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod To order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Elliott-Smith, E., Haig, S.M., and Powers, B.M., 2009, Data from the 2006 International Piping Plover Census: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 426, 332 p. iii Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1 Methods...........................................................................................................................................................1 Results .............................................................................................................................................................2 Summary..........................................................................................................................................................4 Acknowledgments .........................................................................................................................................4 References Cited............................................................................................................................................4 Appendix 1. State/Provincial summaries ...................................................................................................5 Tables Table 1. Distribution and abundance of wintering Piping Plovers, 2006 …………………… 2 Table 2. Census effort and coverage for the 2006 International Piping Plover breeding census …………………………………………………………………………… 3 Conversion Factors Multiply By To obtain kilometer (km) 0.6214 mile (mi) iv This page left intentionally blank Data from the 2006 International Piping Plover Census By Elise Elliott-Smith and Susan M. Haig, U.S. Geological Survey, and Brandi M. Powers, U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Abstract Methods This report presents the results of the 2006 International The 2006 International Piping Plover Census was Census of Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus). Two sets of conducted using similar and compatible methods to those tabular data are reported: one for distribution and abundance used during 1991, 1996, and 2001 (Haig and Plissner, 1993; of wintering Piping Plovers, the other for distribution and Plissner and Haig, 2000; Haig and others, 2005). The census abundance of breeding Piping Plovers. The winter census was facilitated by the International Piping Plover Coordination resulted in the observation of 3,884 Piping Plovers at Group, which is comprised of leaders or representatives of 546 sites. The breeding census resulted in the observation Piping Plover recovery teams in Canada and the United States. of 8,092 adult Piping Plovers at 1,925 sites. An appendix The census was led by a census coordinator (Elise Elliott- provides census reports for each location surveyed. This report Smith, U.S. Geological Survey). Individual surveys were was prepared to meet an immediate need of the U.S. Fish and organized with the assistance of State, Provincial, island, and Wildlife Service for census data for Piping Plovers. regional coordinators. The winter census was conducted prior to the breeding census so that only birds capable of being present in the subsequent breeding census were counted. January 23 through Introduction February 6, 2006 was designated as the time period for the winter census. June 3 through 16 was designated as the time In 2006, a comprehensive survey of Piping Plovers was period for the breeding census for the U.S. Plains, Canadian conducted for the fourth time in 15 years across the shorebird’s Prairies, Great Lakes, and Atlantic Canada. June 1 through 9, winter and breeding ranges in the United States, Canada, 2006 was the time period for the breeding census for the France (islands near Canada), Mexico, and the Caribbean. U.S. Atlantic Coast in Massachusetts because this was the This type of census has occurred at 5-year intervals since 1991 designated interval for an already established survey called an to provide the data to assess Piping Plover population status annual index count. and distribution. Management agencies use the information to It was important to conduct each of the censuses assess progress toward recovery goals for this shorebird. These during short time intervals to minimize recounting birds if assessments occur because of designations of either threatened they moved among areas. Dates also were selected based or endangered for populations of Piping Plovers in the United on similarity to previous census dates. An additional factor States and Canada. when in coastal areas was selection of winter census dates This report was prepared to meet an immediate need of that would coincide with a period of daytime high tides, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for census data for Piping particularly on the Texas coast. Plovers. Some data collected outside the designated time interval were accepted for the winter census in order to document use in regions where Piping Plovers were rare. Because the breeding census provides a population estimate for the species, deviations from the established time periods for this census were rare. Actual dates of surveys for each location are presented in appendix 1. 2 2006 International Piping Plover Census Data General guidance was given to surveyors to increase number of pairs observed to the number of individuals with the likelihood of Piping Plover detection. Participants were chicks or nests. Surveyors also commented on habitat types advised to conduct surveys when the weather was favorable surveyed and used by Piping Plovers. because visibility may be reduced in inclement weather for This effort is called a census because of the breadth of multiple reasons. When tides were involved, surveyors were the distribution and abundance of the species that is covered. advised to make their surveys at high tide because birds can In a strict definition, census means complete count based on be concentrated under these conditions and habitat tends to be prior knowledge of entire occurrence and distribution. The easier to cover. breeding census is as close to a complete census as will be All States and Provinces except Massachusetts, New found for any wildlife species. The authors are aware that the York, and two sites in Rhode Island followed the census exact number of Piping Plovers is problematic in the winter protocol in 2006. Surveyors reported counts for a single census and that people miss birds during the survey for a survey and reported Piping Plover pairs as the sum of those variety of reasons stated in the report. However, the historical birds actually seen together and single adults observed at a precedence for designation of the effort as a census led the nest or with young. Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode authors to continue to use that term. Island reported numbers according to protocols for their annual window count, which included data from multiple surveys at some sites and inferences about pairs based on known nests. Specifically, if a nest was detected at a site, Results a pair was recorded as present even if no birds were seen. A grand total 3,884 Piping Plovers were recorded Aside from these States, all other census data were considered during the winter census. Birds were observed at 546 sites comparable across the species range. (table 1). Expanded coverage outside the United States led to The categories of data collected during the 2006 censuses the discovery of a large population of Piping Plovers in the were similar to prior census years. Information recorded Bahamas (417 birds or 10.7 percent of the winter total). A included the number of birds, location, weather, tidal stage, grand total of 8,092 adult Piping Plovers were recorded during approximate length of shoreline covered, presence or absence the breeding census at 1,925 sites (table 2). Site-specific of leg-bands and any band combinations, and surveyor. information is provided for each survey (appendix 1). Breeding pairs were calculated for each site by adding the Table 1. Distribution and abundance of wintering Piping