Data Zone
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
SACC. 2005 and updates. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Near Threatened | A3ce |
| 2018 | Near Threatened | C2a(i) |
| 2016 | Near Threatened | C2a(i) |
| 2012 | Near Threatened | C2a(i) |
| 2008 | Near Threatened | C2a(i) |
| 2006 | Near Threatened | |
| 2005 | Near Threatened | |
| 2004 | Vulnerable | |
| 2001 | Near Threatened | |
| 2000 | Vulnerable | |
| 1996 | Vulnerable | |
| 1994 | Vulnerable | |
| 1988 | Threatened |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | does not normally occur in forest |
| Land-mass type |
continent shelf island |
Average mass | 54 g |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 6,090,000 km2 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 4,370,000 km2 | medium |
| Number of locations | 11-100 | - |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 7600-8400 mature individuals | good | estimated | 2020 |
| Population trend | increasing | good | suspected | 2012-2024 |
| Generation length | 3.87 years | - | - | - |
| Number of subpopulations | 3 | - | - | - |
Population justification: The latest census data recorded 4,016 (2019) mature individuals on the Atlantic coast, ~3,500 on the northern Great Plains and Prairies (2016), and 147 in the Great Lakes (2014-18) (USFWS 2020; USFWS unpubl. data; B. Andres in litt. 2020); totaling 7,663 breeding individuals. The Great Plains/prairies population is however liable to fluctuations and remains under-surveyed, hence its true total may be greater. Partners in Flight (2019) therefore estimate the total population to number 8,400 mature individuals and as a result, the population is placed here between 7,600-8,400 mature individuals, equivalent to a population of c.11,500-12,500 individuals in total.
Trend justification: The species has been undergoing a large, significant decline over the last five decades, with an estimated annual decline of 1.86% on average (Partners in Flight 2019). This roughly equates to a decrease of 20% over three generations (11.7 years). Audubon Christmas Bird Count shows a similar rate of decline of 2.39% per year (Meehan et al. 2018), equating to 25% over three generations. Short-term trends are inconclusive however, as there are hints that the species has been stable or even locally increasing as a result of conservation management over the last two decades (Elliott-Smith and Haig 2020). The overall population trend is therefore tentatively thought to be increasing. Albeit, it seems that the population increase is largely a result of intensive conservation action and thus it is likely that positive trends could reverse again, if conservation action were to stop.
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anguilla (to UK) | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Antigua and Barbuda | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Bahamas | extant | native | yes | |||
| Barbados | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Bermuda (to UK) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Canada | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Cuba | extant | native | yes | |||
| Dominican Republic | extant | native | ||||
| Ecuador | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Haiti | extant | native | yes | |||
| Jamaica | extant | native | yes | |||
| Martinique (to France) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Mexico | extant | native | yes | |||
| Nicaragua | extant | native | ||||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| St Kitts and Nevis | extant | native | yes | |||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | extant | native | yes | |||
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | extant | native | yes | |||
| USA | extant | native | yes | |||
| Venezuela | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Virgin Islands (to UK) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | extant | native | yes |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | major | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | major | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | major | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | major | breeding |
| Altitude | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate change & severe weather | Droughts | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Climate change & severe weather | Storms & flooding | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | No decline | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | No decline | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Canis familiaris | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | No decline | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Felis catus | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | No decline | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Problematic native species/diseases - Falco columbarius | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Problematic native species/diseases - Ocypode quadrata | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Problematic native species/diseases - Unspecified species | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Food - human | subsistence, national |
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | international |
| Sport hunting/specimen collecting | subsistence, national |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Piping Plover Charadrius melodus. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/piping-plover-charadrius-melodus on 24/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 24/11/2024.