Piping Plover

Why it’s sensitive

The Piping Plover is a small, sand-colored shorebird protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act — the Atlantic Coast and Northern Great Plains populations are Threatened and the Great Lakes population is Endangered. It doesn’t nest in Florida, but birds from all three populations spend the non-breeding season on Florida’s beaches, sandbars and tidal flats, including ours.

Wintering plovers need to feed and rest undisturbed to build up the fat reserves for migration and nesting. Every time a bird is flushed by a person, dog or drone, it burns energy it can’t easily replace.

When

Piping Plovers start arriving in Northeast Florida in mid to late summer and most leave by early spring. iNaturalist protects their locations all year.

How eBird handles it

In Florida, Piping Plover sightings on eBird are public — eBird lists it as sensitive only in Wisconsin, where it nests.

How iNaturalist handles it

iNaturalist lists the Piping Plover as S2 (Imperiled) in Florida and obscures observations across the United States, so every Florida observation is hidden automatically, all year. Photos, identification and date stay public.

What we ask of members

Learn more

• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Piping Plover
• All About Birds: Piping Plover