Biology and Behavior of Breeding Piping Plovers
Cairns WE. 1982. Biology and Behavior of Breeding Piping Plovers. The Wilson Bulletin. 94(4):531-545
The Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) is an endemic species of central and eastern North America which breeds discontinuously throughout its range in suitable sand beach habitat. Apart from early accounts such as those by Bent (1929) and Wilcox (1939) provides most of the breeding information known for the species. An assessment of the numerical status of the population in eastern North America is contained in Cairns and McLaren (1980). The present study was undertaken to obtain baseline information on the Piping Plover in Nova Scotia. Emphasis was placed on detailing the biology and behavior associated with the nesting cycle, and on examining the relationship between nesting success and the multiple use of beaches.