Wilson’s Plover

The Wilson’s Plover is a medium shorebird that lives in coastal habitats. These birds breed along the Atlantic coast, southwards from Virginia, through the entirety of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Their breeding range continues to northwestern Brazil, and along the Pacific coast until the northern portion of Peru.

About Wilson’s Plovers

These birds have a distinct single breast band, and it is not very difficult to distinguish them from other Plovers. Their larger size and heavy black bills make it easy to make this distinction. This species also goes by the name of Thick-billed Plover. The Wilson’s Plover was named after Alexander Wilson, the person who collected this specimen in May 1813. This first specimen was collected in Cape May, New Jersey. Ironically, this species was and still is just a rare visitor to that area.

These birds nest in saline areas that can be sparsely or densely vegetated. These areas can include edges of lagoons, dunes, and beaches that are above high tide. Outside of the breeding season, Wilson’s Plovers congregate in groups that can range from a few to a few hundred birds. Smaller plovers are mostly present in these mixed flocks.

Crustaceans such as fiddler crabs are one of the most eaten foods by Wilson’s Plovers. Other animal matters consumed by these birds include invertebrates, worms, and insects. Not much information is available about the life span, reproductive success, or migration routes of this species. Population data is also unavailable for several subspecies
of Wilson’s Plovers.

The populations of Wilson’s Plovers are steadily declining in the U.S. Their range also seems to be narrowing. This decline is a result of the loss of ideal beach habitat due to human development and urbanization. Human interference is the biggest threat to Wilson’s Plovers. Another big cause for their population decline is the disturbance caused by beach recreation to the nesting areas of these birds. Rising sea levels also negatively affect Wilson’s Plovers. Wouldn’t you like to know more about these marvelous birds? Let’s learn more.

● Wilson’s Plovers Photos, Color Pattern, Song
● Wilson’s Plovers Size, Eating behavior, Habitat
● Wilson’s Plovers Range and Migration, Nesting

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Wilson’s Plovers Color Pattern

Wilson’s Plovers have grayish-grayish brown upperparts. In contrast, their underparts are white with a brownish to a black band on their breast. Their feet and legs are pinkish or pinkish gray.

During breeding season adults have a moderately colored mantle. The lores, forecrown, and breast bands in males are black but brownish with a reddish-brown tint in females. The plumage of Wilson’s Plovers varies according to their geographical range. Breeding adults in South America and West Indies show more reddish-brown coloration on their breast band and head, whereas breeding adults on the Pacific Coast have darker upperparts, and less white on their supercilium and forehead.

Non-breeding males look-alike like breeding females, but their upper parts are gayer, and the margins of the feathers are also paler. In addition to this, the breast band might be incomplete. Year-old birds and juveniles do not have many differences in plumage color.

Description and Identification

Wilson’s Plovers are quite easily differentiated from other Plovers through their larger size and the distinctly large bill that seems disproportionate to their body. Their pinkish-gray legs also distinguish them from other similar species.

Semipalmated Plovers have a similar appearance, but they are smaller, and they have darker upperparts. They also have significantly smaller bills which are orange-yellow as the base.

Piping Plovers are also smaller species of bird. Unlike Semipalmated Plovers, they have upperparts that are paler than the upper parts of Wilson’s Plovers. Again, the bills of Semipalmated Plovers are significantly smaller in size. There are similar differences in Snowy Plovers.

Killdeers are one of the species that are similar in size, but they can still be easily distinguished through their double-breast band. Killdeer hatchlings only have one developed breast band, they might be confused as hatchlings of Wilson’s Plovers.

Other species that are similar to Wilson’s Plovers are Greater Sand-Plovers. These birds are similar in bill size and overall, but they can be distinguished based on the distinct white hind-beck collar present in every plumage of Wilson’s Plovers.

Chicks of Wilson’s Plovers begin vocalizing even before they hatch. Hatchlings have two calls. These are the cheep call and the peep call. The cheep call is a high-pitch call produced when the hatchling is in distress. This was noticed when the hatchling was being banded.

Wilson’s Plover Song

The vocalizations of Wilson’s Plovers have been associated with their breeding behavior by researchers Zdravkovic and Bergstrom. Only populations from the Gulf Coast and Virginia have been studied, so the amount of information available is limited.

The wheep or tweet call is a slurred whistle made predominantly by males. This serves as an alarm call. Whip or Peet is a shorter whistle that mostly occurs in triplets or pairs. Perhaps this call also serves as an alarm call. Wilson’s Plovers in Georgia make this call from the top of high points such as the top of a dune when humans were intruding on their territory.

Pip is another call that is vocally like the low-intensity peet call. This call is generally made when a bird leaves the nest. It is unclear what function this call serves. Then birds arrive at the nest, they use a “fweep” call that is much louder.

A song rattle is performed by members of both sexes when protecting their territories from invaders. Males also make this call during air and ground chases. When the nesting areas of Wilson’s Plovers when invaded, groups of Plovers began by making peet or tweet calls which were then followed by flying over the intruder and performing the Song rattle.

The distraction call is a buzzy call that has a descending pitch. This call is a sequence of notes. These birds make broken-wing displays that serve the purpose of distracting the predators.

The distress call is a low grunting call that members of both sexes make. This call is also made during a broken-wing display, but only when their eggs are almost hatched, or have already hatched. They make a dovelike coo call during the scrape ceremony.

The last call in this list is the brood call that the parents make when leading or raising their hatchlings.

Wilson’s Plover Size

Wilson’s Plovers are small birds from the family Charadriidae. These partial migrants are 6.3-7.9 inches long, and they have an average wingspan of 19 inches. They weigh approximately between 1.9-2.5 ounces.

Wilson’s Plover Behavior

Wilson’s Plovers seem to be monogamous birds. These birds have already formed pair bonds before their arrival on the breeding grounds. Male Wilson’s Plovers make a lot of scrapes for females to inspect as potential nest sites. Females have the final say in choosing the appropriate nest site. When a female approaches a male that is making a scrape, he uses his bill to point at the scrape and fans his tail. He also uses the wing nearest to the scrape to point at it. Males also utter a cooing call during this scrape ceremony.

In some instances, males jump around the scrape while puffing out their breasts. Male Wilson’s Plovers use parallel running displays and posturing to warn invading males. In case that isn’t enough, they chase them away in flight or on foot. Both sexes serve the responsibility of defending their nesting territory from invaders. These invaders may include other Wilson’s Plovers or smaller species of birds. If the intruder is especially large or strong such as a gull, raccoon, or fox, they group together with other pairs to distract or attack the enemy. High-pitch calls help them communicate potential threats to other birds. Broken-wing displays help draw the attention of predators away from eggs and hatchlings.

Members of both sexes partake in the incubation process and the responsibility of rearing the hatchlings. Once the hatchlings fledge, they join their parents in activities such as roosting and group foraging. By staying in close proximity to the parents, they can also assist in protecting the breeding territory against predators.

Running or walking quickly is the most common form of locomotion for Wilson’s Plovers. Individual birds travel to and fro from the nest on foot. They have a set pattern of movement which includes running for a few steps, stopping to look around, and repeating the same.

Although these birds are capable of sustained flight they prefer running even when disturbed. If required, they will burst into flight and stay ahead of the invader. When humans have invaded their breeding territory, a group of Wilson’s Plovers will begin circling them from above. Their flight speed can average between 22-28 miles per hour. Wilson’s Plovers that winter in Venezuela spends most of their time roosting. Roosting can occur several times throughout the day, and at night. During winters, these birds travel more at night than during the daytime.

Wilson’s Plover Diet

The diet of Wilson’s Plovers includes crustaceans, marine invertebrates, and crustaceans. The Wilson’s Plover snatches these from the sand or mud using their especially large bill. These birds forage during a falling tide because it exposes fiddler crabs which are their favorite prey.

Foraging during the night is not uncommon. The method in which they eat these crabs involves them running and lunging to catch the crabs, and after doing so they shake it until the legs of the crabs fall off before they can swallow it whole. In some regions, fiddler crabs account for 99% of the diet of this species. Alike other Plovers, they also eat
dragonflies, shrimp, marine worms, tiny mollusks, and sand flies.

Wilson’s Plover Habitat

You can find Wilson’s Plovers year-round on barrier islands, sandy beaches, or salt flats. Their nests are slightly above the high tide mark, generally close to dunes. These birds use man-made habitats like dredge spoil islands also. Muddy margins of coastal lagoons are common foraging spots for Wilson’s Plovers. These regions are suitable for foraging due to the abundance of fiddler crabs.

Other foraging sites are construction areas with open ground, moist dry impoundments, and salt evaporation ponds. Common plants in these habitats are glasswort, beach elder, salt meadow cordgrass, sea rocket, and sea oats.

Range and Migration

Where you can find Wilson’s Plover’s determines on the time of the year. They reside in South, Central, or North America. The North American portion of their range begins in southern Canada and continues throughout the U.S. The range of Willow Flycatchers and Alder Flycatchers often overlaps, but Willow Flycatchers generally have a more southern range. The southern U.S. is one of the most common overwintering regions for these birds.

Wilson’s Plover Lifecycle

These birds form pairs before establishing territories. These birds raise only one brood per season. They make another nesting attempt only when the first one fails.

Nesting

Female Wilson’s Plovers selects one of the many scrapes made and displayed by the males as the nesting site. These scrapes generally occur in shelly or sandy spots near some debris. Nesting regions mostly have sparse vegetation.

The base of the cup of the nest might contain wrack, shells, gravel, and pebbles. These materials can also be used at the sides of the cup. On average, nest scapes are 3.2 inches in width.

Anatomy of a Wilson’s Plover

Wilson’s Plovers are medium-size Plovers that have a disproportionately large and heavy bill.

Final Thoughts

Wilson’s Plovers are unique shorebirds that have beautiful black irises and large bills. These birds have many unique characteristics, making them easily distinguishable from other related species.

Ornithology

Bird Watching Academy & Camp Subscription Boxes

At the Bird Watching Academy & Camp we help kids, youth, and adults get excited and involved in bird watching. We have several monthly subscription boxes that you can subscribe to. Our monthly subscription boxes help kids, youth, and adults learn about birds, bird watching, and bird conservation.

Bird Watching Binoculars for IdentifyingWilson’s Plovers

The most common types of bird watching binoculars for viewing Wilson’s Plovers are 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. Bird Watching Academy & Camp sells really nice 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. You can view and purchase them here.

Wilson’s Plover Stickers

Stickers are a great way for you to display your love for bird watching and the Wilson’s Plover. We sell a monthly subscription sticker pack. The sticker packs have 12 bird stickers. These sticker packs will help your kids learn new birds every month.

Bird Feeders For Wilson’s Plovers

There are many types of bird feeders. Bird feeders are a great addition to your backyard. Bird feeders will increase the chances of attracting birds drastically. Both kids and adults will have a great time watching birds eat at these bird feeders. There are a wide variety of bird feeders on the market and it is important to find the best fit for you and your backyard.

Bird HousesFor Wilson’s Plovers

There are many types of bird houses. Building a bird house is always fun but can be frustrating. Getting a bird house for kids to watch birds grow is always fun. If you spend a little extra money on bird houses, it will be well worth every penny and they’ll look great.