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Piping Plover (F)

Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) Status: Near Threatened

 

Little round Piping Plovers hide in plain sight on sandy ocean and lake shores, blending right in with their sandy gray backs. It's not until they scurry down the sand on their orange legs that you're likely to spot these big-eyed shorebirds with a sharp black collar and an orange bill. They nest in soft sand away from the water's edge along the Atlantic Coast, Great Plains, and Great Lakes. They are endangered due to habitat loss, disturbance, and predation.

 

Piping Plovers are on the U.S. endangered species list, so if you see one don't get too close. If one starts frantically calling or feigning injury, back away carefully as there may be an almost invisible nest nearby - AllAboutBirds.org

 

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Cooper's Beach, South Hampton, New York

 

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Uploaded on June 12, 2018
Taken on June 9, 2018