aaahhhhhh . . . . . .I've been waiting with an eager heart to start on shorebirds. I chose to open with this precious Piping Plover. I will tell you his "story" now:
well, it's been said that every one has a "story", and here is mine.
I was spotted on Tigertail Beach, Marco Island FL on 2/25/12, and I am a flagged shorebird. I am a wild-reared female, hatched @ Sleeping Bear Dunes in 2010 and banded in 2011 in Manistee, MI.
Experts say I am a Piping Plover, and birding groups are very interested in me, because my family is endangered mainly due to our extravagant taste for the best beaches to nest on, which is in direct competition with the two legged peeps called homo sapiens. It has been discovered that the Bahamas is a major wintering ground for my family and many are conducting surveys there. Anyway, back to my life story . . . .
I found the Florida Shorebird Alliance group on FB and uploaded my Banded Shorebird image, and the nice people there jumped right on it and within hours they reported back the story. I thought it was amazing to learn about the bands.
Captive-reared definition: They take eggs or chicks from the nest because it is in a highly vulnerable position and rear babies to fledge in the wild location.
Interesting facts:
Ashy above and white below, the Piping Plover closely matches the color of the sandy beaches where it occurs. It has a black breast-band and crown patch during breeding season; the legs are orange and the bill black. Breeds in the USA and Canada, WHERE IT IS NOW ENDANGERED owing to habitat destruction, and human disturbance of nesting sites. Winter visitor to southern Florida.
Great post Rachelle, very interesting history on this little gal. GREAT photo as well. I photographed a banded Sanderling across the street from my house a few months ago and reported it (I don't remember to who???) but I was never able to get any info on its history...
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