Piping Plover
© Danny Bales
The Piping Plover is a rare to uncommon winter resident, which can be found along Florida’s beaches between September and April. This diminutive shorebird can be found inland but prefers sandy beaches and tidal mudflats where it forages along the waterline or high up the beach along the wrackline. Piping Plovers eat a variety of insects and aquatic invertebrates. They are particularly sensitive to disturbance from people, dogs and vehicles on beaches. In Florida, Honeymoon Island State Park is home to the largest wintering flock of this federally threatened species.
For more information, including a range map and sound recording, visit The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All About Birds website.
Recommended GFBWT sites:
- Caladesi Island State Park
- Fort De Soto Park
- Gulf Islands National Seashore: Fort Pickens Area
- Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge
- Honeymoon Island State Park
- Huguenot Memorial Park
- Lighthouse Point Park / Marine Science Center
- Little Estero Island Critical Wildlife Area
- Little Talbot Island State Park
- St. George Island State Park
-
Tigertail Beach
Bird's habitat
This small shorebird can be found inland but prefers sandy beaches and tidal mudflats where it forages above the tide.
