The plovers eat insects, spiders, and crustaceans. Range Piping plovers are migratory birds. In the spring and summer they breed in northern United States and Canada. Their nesting range has become smaller over the years, especially in the Great Lakes area. In the fall, plovers migrate south and winter along the Gulf Coast or other southern locations.
Biologists have a lot to learn about the lives of piping plovers in their winter range.
Habitat Loss or Degradation Many of the coastal beaches traditionally used by piping plovers for nesting have been lost to commercial, residential, and recreational developments. Through the use of dams or other water control structures, humans are able to raise and lower the water levels of many lakes and rivers of plover inland nest sites. Too much water in the spring floods the plovers' nests. Too little water over a long period of time allows grasses and other vegetation to grow on the prime nesting beaches, making these sites unsuitable for successful nesting. Nest Disturbance and Predation Piping plovers are very sensitive to the presence of humans.