Are you a Piping Plover expert?

 

Piping Plovers are endangered shorebirds that breed in locations in the prairies, along the Great Lakes, and on the Atlantic Coast in Canada. Find out if you have the knowledge of an expert plover lover!

What features help to identify a Piping Plover during the breeding season?

An orange bill with a black tip

A black 'necklace' around its neck

A black 'unibrow' between the eyes

All of the above

The depression in the sand or gravel on the beach made by the male Piping Plover is known as a _________.

Dent

Scrape

Nest

Hollow

After a 'tilting display' (featured in image), male Piping Plovers will 'goose step' during their courtship display, kicking their legs up and strutting for the female.

True

False

A female Piping Plover usually lays _____ eggs in the first clutch.

2

3

4

6

What are the predators of Piping Plovers in Ontario? Check all that apply.

Coyotes

Gulls (Ring-Billed & Herring)

American Crows

Foxes

Bald Eagles

Merlins (Falcons)

Raccons

Osprey

For how long do adult Piping Plovers incubate their eggs?

25-28 days

32-36 days

18-22 days

37-40 days

Piping Plover chicks weigh approximately ___ when they hatch and ____ as adults.

2g; 30-40g

5g; 43-63g

8g; 65-70g

14g; 72-78g

Piping Plover chicks are ___________ , which means that they are able to run around and find food independently soon after hatching.

Dabblers

Leucistic

Colonial

Precocial

What is it called when Piping Plover chicks gather and press themselves close to their parents to warm up (thermoregulate) and hide from harsh weather?

Nuzzling

Snuggling

Brood Rearing

Brooding

What is a 'broken wing' display?

Piping Plovers are dramatic and pretend to have a broken wing to impress human audiences.

Piping Plover chicks act as though they have broken wings when they need the assistance of their parents.

Piping Plover parents act as though they are injured in order to draw predators away from their nest or young.

When two Piping Plovers have a confrontation, the less dominant one will feign injury in order to avoid getting hurt by the stronger plover.

How long does it generally take a Piping Plover chick to fledge (develop flight feathers and fly sustained distances) from the time it hatches?

14 days

20 days

27 days

34 days

How can people help Piping Plovers? Select all that apply!

Clean up garbage on the beach

Have driftwood bonfires!

Eat fries on the beach

Leave driftwood on the beach

Respect plovers' space

Avoid feeding gulls and bringing food on the beach

Pretend to be a seagull and chase the Piping Plovers.

Help to educate others about Ontario's species at risk!