Life Isn't Easy, Especially for the Little Piping Plover!

So far we have looked at the conservation efforts that are being done with the American Marten in Newfoundland and outside of the Island, but how about another at-risk species, the piping plover (Charadrius melodus) (see Figure 1) .

Figure 1: Photo of a piping plover
Photographer: Sydney Maddock
Source: Natural Resources Canada

While the piping plover looks nothing like the marten, they share the commonality of being possible extinct, wiped off, and permanently gone from our province unless WE take action. The piping plover has been designated as endangered by the Committe on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) since 1985, and the Atlantic subspeices (C. m. melodus) has been listed as endangered on the federal Species at Risk Act since 2003 (Environment Canada, 2006).


Even with all the extensive studies that have been done concerning the piping plover, it is still a "highly vulnerable" species according to Calvert et al. (2006). Therefore, in order to efficiently conduct conservation planning there needs to be a detailed assessment made of their habitat, factors that affect their survival, dispersal and recruitment. (Calvert et al., 2006). Collection of these various types of data will then help conservationists execute a proper plan for saving these little birds.

Piping plover populations across North America have shown strong declines in recent years and the eastern Canadian population dropped to as few as 422 birds in 1996 (Amirault, 2005).

Piping Plover reside in lesser populated areas on beaches throughout the eastern provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, and the Magdalen Islands of Quebec (Calvert et al., 2006).

Figure 2: Distribution of piping plover along the Atlantic Coast
Source: Department of Environment and Conservation

So what is it about this species that is putting it at risk for extinction? While there are many different factors impacting plover populations, there are three main threats to the Atlantic subspecies. These threats are habitat loss as a result of coastal development, predation by gulls foxes and crows, and human disturbance.

While there is some effort going in to dealing with all three threats, a major component of the recovery planning in Newfoundland is focusing on educating the public, to minimize human disturbance.

To prevent predation, piping plover eggs have developed the feature of being very well camoflauged in their nests on the beach. While this may deter some predators, it makes the nests very vulnerable to being disturbed by humans who simply have no idea they are there (see Figure 3). This is why the recovery plan is focusing on education, as it is through this that people will be more aware of the plover, and what they can do to minimize their impact on the species.

Figure 3: Well hidden piping plover eggs (centre of photo)
Source: Environment Canada - Wildlife Services

The Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation are doing their best to educate the public and create awareness on the piping plover crisis. On their website they, have a brief summary page which shows all the key details about the piping plover here in the province. This page is written in a way which can easily be understood by the public, which is very important for getting the message across. You can read more about the piping plover here

Through education, the Newfoundland government hopes that people will be more willing to voluntarily take on behavior changes that will help the current piping plover populations flourish. These changes include keeping bikes, trucks and other vehicles off the beaches, keeping house pets—such as dogs—on leashes at all times can also help decrease the chances of them destroying the piping plover’s nest.

Gros Morne National Park is also trying its hand at creating awareness about the piping plover, and provides information their website regarding conservation activity they are a part of. Along with the Cow Head Town Council and residents, they have bird watching, monitoring and general education about the piping plover. By speaking with visitors and students, they can inform them of ways to protect this small shorebird. There has also been some more definitive conservation measures in the park, as they have closed off sections of certain beaches where piping plover nests are very abundant. However, even this strategy is tied with education, as there are signs in these areas explaining why the area is significant, and therefore, why it is closed (Parks Canada, n.d.).

Now, on to the important question: Is it working? According to the Department of Environment and Conservation it (sort of) is! The 2006 census saw an increase of nine birds from 2001, which may not sound too impressive, but means a lot more when you take into account that there are were only 48 birds accounted for in the census. The other good news is that the range of the bird seems to be expanding, with a pair of plovers nesting in Gros Morne for the first time since 1975 (Wildlife Division, n.d.).

With the cooperation of the public and conservationists we can help reverse the decline of piping plovers and change their status from “endangered” to “thriving” (we don't think this is an official SARA designation, but you get the idea)! As long as the goals keep being implemented and we the public try our best to follow them, the shorebirds will get on back on track.

Since plover populations can migrate between provinces, it is important to also look at what is being done in other areas. Stay tuned for next week when we will see what other provinces doing in order to help save these little birds!


-Shane & Asfa

References

Amirault, D. L. (editor). 2005. The 2001 International Piping Plover census in Canada. Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Atlantic Region, Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada.

Calvert, Anna M., Diana L. Amirault, Francois Shaffer, Richard Elliot, Alan Hanson, Julie Mcknight, and Philip D. Taylor. (2006). Population Assessment of an Endangered Shorebird: The Piping Plover (Charadrius Melodus Melodus) in Eastern Canada. Avian Conservation and Ecology 4th ser. 1.3

Environment Canada. (2006). Recovery Strategy for the Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus circumcinctus) in Canada. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment Canada, Ottawa. vi + 30 pp.

Parks Canada. (n.d.). Extraoridnary Visitors: Endangered Piping Plovers Return to Shallow Bay Beach. Parks Canada. Retrieved March 22, 2012 from http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/nl/grosmorne/ne/ne.aspx

Wildlife Division. (n.d.). Newfoundland and Labrador Species at Risk: Piping Plover. Department of Environment and Conservation, Wildlife Division. Retrieved March 22, 2012 from http://www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/endangeredspecies/piping_plover.pdf