Piping Plovers are one of the cutest birds on earth. But sadly they are endangered. They are about 7.5 inches long, but with the wingspan they can get to about 15 inches. Also they can be small, stocky shore birds, and is extremely well camouflaged on sand or pebble beaches. They are usually found in both inlands (wetlands, rivers, and lakes in the prairies) and on Atlantic and Caribbean coastal beaches. When out on the beaches, most of the time you hear them rather than see them. We now have around 5,900 left in the world. In the late 1800’s and the early 1900’s they were killed by hunters and eaten away by dogs. On their menu they like to eat small insects and grasshoppers on the surface of the shore line. In May, the females usually lay four eggs, one every other day. Both adults will take turns incubating the eggs until they hatch (28 days later). The young birds will start flying in Mid-July.  I would like to help and re-populate the plover species. So I say we should help and volunteer to raise the piping plover population up!

Because the way I see it, there are basically three main reasons how we can help.  We first can start out by picking up after ourselves and even picking up other litter in your area on the beaches. That will help out a lot because it could stop destroying the plovers’ nests. Also when on the beach please respect the signs and stay out of the areas of the beach that are closed for the piping plovers. But now there are laws to protect them from hunters. Even some people are putting cages around the nest for the plovers could get in and the predators could stay out.  Plus you could be nice and most their nests to another place so they don’t drown whenever the flood starts coming at them.  Something should be done and doing all of these will be great to start out with first!

Qeustions and Answers:

Define critical habitat. –

Critical habitat is an area essential to the conservation of a listed species, though the area may not actually be occupied by the species at the time it is designated.

Why is critical habitat important for endangered species? –

Critical habitat provides key protections for listed species. Critical habitat must include all areas deemed important to a species ‘ recovery or survival whether the species currently resides in those areas, uses those areas for movement or needs them for any other reason.

What is climate change? –

Climate change is a problem that is affecting people and the environment. The climate includes patterns of the temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind and seasons. Climate change affects more than just change in weather. It refers to seasonal changes over a long period of time.

Do humans have a critical habitat? –

I say yes we do. But If we keep doing what we’re doing and ruining our earth then we will stop having one and we will soon have nothing.

What are greenhouse emissions? –

Due to the increased levels of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous emissions, other wise known as greenhouse gas emissions and a significant level of warming is due to human activity including the combustion of fossil fuels for power generation, transportation and manufacturing.

How does climate change effect the endangered species? –

Climate change effects the endangered species in many ways. One of the main reasons why it effects them is because they are so used to the weather that was in they’re habitat and once it changes on them they can do nothing to react. And most of the times their reaction could kill them.

http://www.fws.gov/plover/facts.html

http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/002/articles/appearance