They also feed on crustaceans and mollusks. Across the Great Plains, the piping plover uses the sand and gravel shores of rivers and lakes. The piping plover is an extremely rare bird that nests on the sandbars of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers. They can also be found in alkali wetlands and lakes throughout the prairie pothole region of North Dakota. They often return to the same sandbar year after year to nest.
Young plovers are able to walk and feed within hours of hatching.
In North Dakota, the construction of reservoirs on the Missouri River has resulted in the loss of sandbar habitats for the plover. The decline of the piping plover in the alkali wetlands is due to wetland drainage, contaminants, and cattle grazing. Certain sandbars used by the birds are posted with signs that close these areas to human use during the nesting season. Return to the North Dakota FWS Home Page.