Description: A small pale-colored
shorebird – six to seven inches – the piping plover has a narrow
black breastband which is often incomplete. During the breeding
season, the adults have orange legs and a black bar across the
forehead.
Habitat and Habits: The piping plover nests on sandbars in
rivers and sandy beaches bordering lakes, reservoirs and the
Atlantic Ocean. Nests are placed above the recent high-water mark
and are usually in bare to very sparsely vegetated areas. Normal
clutch size is four eggs and the incubation period is about 27 days.
Both parents take care of the young. Young birds are able to fly in
about 30 days. Piping plovers in the Midwest feed on insects,
crustaceans and mollusks on the edge of the water on sandbars and
beaches.
Distribution: The historical and current distribution of
breeding piping plovers includes the following three areas: the
Atlantic Coast from Newfoundland to North Carolina; the Great Lakes;
and the northern Great Plains of the United States and Canada.
In Iowa there are only two known breeding sites: One near Council
Bluffs and one near Sioux City. Both sites are fly-ash deposits
associated with power plants. Historically, piping plovers nested in
at least two other locations along the Missouri River. The loss of
sandbar habitat to channelization and stabilization of the river
destroyed this nesting habitat.
Conservation Efforts: MidAmerican Energy Company continues
protecting the two known nesting areas on their property. Government
agencies are also cooperating to create and protect other habitats
along the Missouri River.
Reasons for Listing: The loss of sandbars along the Missouri
River due to channelization and stabilization of the river has
destroyed the natural nesting sites in Iowa.
Funding Provided
by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and
