It’s in your nature: Plovers

Plovers are closely related to the more familiar sandpipers, but they do have some important differences. Plovers have shorter, thicker and more stout bills. Meanwhile, sandpipers have thinner and often longer bills. Plovers usually appear “stockier” than sandpipers; and more than likely will spend more of their time farther from water. All plovers are precocial. (Their young are active and leave the nest within hours of hatching) Let’s focus on a few notable plovers found here in the eastern U.S.

The black-bellied plover is the largest of the plovers. In breeding season, it does have a black chin, neck and belly. They can reach about 12 inches in size. The bright breeding feathers of the male fade as summer progresses, so if seen in the fall they appear much different. They are long-distance travelers, breeding in central and western Canada, while wintering along our eastern coastal areas from New Jersey to Florida and also along the Gulf Coast.

The American golden plover is more common in grassy areas, often found very far from the ocean or coastal beaches. They are fairly large, reaching about 11 inches in length. The black-bellied plover could be seen along the shore of our largest lakes, but few golden plovers are ever seen here. They too have a different plumage in fall and winter compared to its breeding plumage. They can migrate even as far as South America.

The most common plover in the Times News area is the killdeer. I did discuss this bird in an earlier column but will remind you that this is the plover you more than likely will encounter on the golf course, baseball outfields, a vacant construction area, etc. Look for their short sprinting steps, pausing, and another set of short sprints. They nest, as do all the plovers, directly on the ground, having eggs protectively colored.

Although not an official scientific study, I will note that my birding buddies and I have seen a reduction in killdeer sightings the past few years. Is it a population decline or have we just been at the wrong places at the wrong times? I’m surmising that they are in a decline. One of the reasons the plover and sandpiper numbers have dropped may be to an overharvesting of horseshoe crabs in the Delaware Bay and Delaware and Maryland Coasts. Global warming is suspected as well because it has altered some of the crucial tundra habitat most plovers utilize.

The semipalmated plover is the second most common species in our area. They are seen regularly on Beltzville’s shores. It does not nest here, but like the killdeer it chooses a spot to scrape out a nest in the gravel. Most of the other plovers nest on the ground amid low, dense tundra vegetation. You can also find them along the Atlantic coastal beaches in the early morning (in spring or fall) before all the vacationer beach activity starts.

Most of the plover species, like the killdeer, have developed unique habits of feigning injury and screeching to help lure predators (or humans) away from the nest and young.

Hey, get out there and enjoy the plovers and all we have around us!

Test your knowledge: Surprisingly, this bird is adapting to nesting under very large bridges or on “skyscraper” ledges instead of their historical cliff ledges. A. golden eagle, peregrine falcon, C. turkey vulture, D. osprey.

Last article’s nature trivia: The spotted, wood and stinkpot turtles are all found in Pennsylvania, and in fact, in the Times News area.

Contact Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com.