Piping Plover Research Paper

The Charadrius melodus melodus (eastern population) and the Charadrius melodus circumcinctus (midwestern population) species, better known as the Piping Plover, is a pale grey and white bird just over 7 inches tall. It has a distinctive black band on it’s forehead and chest, with an orange beak with a black tip, and orange feet. Their black bands vary in size from male to female and during breeding season. It is part of the Aves class, Charadriiformes order, Charadriidae family, and Charadrius genus. It is closely related to the Killdeer, a Wilson’s Plover, a Black-bellied Plover and others. The piping plover has been listed as endangered or threatened since 1985. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has a state and a global ranking system for endangered species. Both ranking systems go from S1/G1, extremely rare and endangered to S5/G5, secure. The piping plover has been labeled with a state ranking of S2, which is considered endangered because of rarity (6-20 known populations). Its global ranking is a G3, for either very rare and local throughout its range or found
Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois has piping plovers in their McCormick birdhouse for public viewings daily. There is also a plover recovery program that operates out of the University of Michigan Biological Station. Many organizations are sending birds to this biological station, such as The John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids Michigan and Denver Zoo. Members from the John Ball Zoo, and the Michigan Biological Station, along with volunteers, gather in Michigan each summer to monitor and protect the piping plover populations and their nests. The volunteers will help protect the nest on the beaches as well as take in abandoned eggs or chicks so that they can be rehabilitated and placed back into the