The Semipalmated Plover
belongs to the order Charadriiformes which is the order
of shorebirds. They belong to the family Charadriidae
which consists of plovers and lapwings. Semipalmated
Plovers most distinguishing characteristic is the single
black ring around the neck. They also have a black
forehead patch and a black patch running over the beak
from eye to eye. As with most plovers, they appear
to be short and very round, especially on the breast
area which is usually made up of stored fat in
preparation for long migrations. The basic plumage
of these plovers in a brownish back and white underside.
The wings are also brown on top and white underneath and Semipalmated Plovers have somewhat
stubby orange legs. Semipalmated
Plovers are very strong flyers as characterized by their
pointed wings. They are capable of flying huge
distances at a time and have little problem flying into
the wind. Semipalmated Plovers are often mistaken for
Killdeer (which have two distinct neck rings) and
sandpipers.
As with all plovers, Semipalmated Plovers are
shorebirds. They don’t swim or dive in the water like gulls, but
are usually found scanning the shoreline either by air or on foot.
Being runners, these plovers favor flat shorelines as oppose to
large rocks and thick vegetation. Often they can be seen on stony
banks, muddy sides, and sand dunes. Rarely are they seen inland
away from large bodies of water. Geographical habitats of
Semipalmated Plovers vary immensely from the subarctic regions of
Northern Canada to the tropical regions of northern South America. The diet of
Semipalmated Plovers consists of small invertebrate
located along the shorelines. These invertebrates are
only restricted in size as to what plovers can eat.
Prey may be terrestrial or aquatic and even from both
fresh and saltwater. Semipalmated Plovers rely on their
vision to find prey. They usually hunt on wet or damp
surfaces frequently running for short bursts, then
stopping to scan or capture prey. They usually won’t be
seen foraging in grasslands or other dry areas.
Usually Semipalmated
Plovers are seen by themselves or in pairs during
breeding season. Only during migration can these birds
be found in flocks, simply because many migrate at the
same time and use similar migration patterns. As with
most birds, establishing territory occurs at the start
of breeding season and generally these plovers are very
protective of their territory. The main mating system of Semipalmated Plovers is monogamy. Due to breeding in
the cooler subarctic climate, breeding and brooding
season are relatively short: from May to
July. Semipalmated Plovers usually brood only once per
year and usually have clutch sizes of 3-4 eggs. Both parents are responsible for care of the eggs
and nestlings (nests are usually scrapes made in the
ground). Both sexes participate in incubation
which lasts 23-25 days. Both also watch over the
nestlings after hatching. Hatching is generally simultaneous and the
young are all precocial and the parents only watch over
the nestlings. The chicks are responsible for
venturing around the nest on their own in search for
their own food and are able to fly after 22-31 days. Like Killdeer, Semipalmated Plovers may fake
injuries to draw predators away from the young. Females
are the last to arrive for breeding season, but are the
first to leave when the winter migration comes. This
leaves the male as the sole parent, but only for a few
days at most.
Semipalmated Plovers can only be seen in
WNY during their migrations in between breeding and
winter seasons (early May to June and late July to
October). Being shorebirds, they will generally be
found along water, although they are not exempt from
inward areas such as farmland especially if these areas
are wet or underwater. Around WNY, best locations
are usually open areas along side water which include
along the Niagara River and
along the shores of Lakes Erie and Ontario including Southern
Ontario’s numerous beaches, Lackawanna, and Fort Niagara.
These are only resting stops for these plovers so they
won’t stay long.
