| Group | Plovers |
| Code | ABNNB03070 |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Charadriidae |
| Author | Ord, 1824 |
| Rank | G3 (definitions) |
| USESA | (LE-LT) (definitions) |
| Occurrence | SM (definitions) |
| Scale | C (definitions) |
| Western UP | none |
| Eastern UP | Alger, Chippewa, Luce |
| Northern LP | Charlevoix, Emmet, Leelanau |
| Southern LP | Muskegon |
Forested or Mixed Forested/Nonforested Landscapes
Lake
adjacent to:
Shorelines/Mudflats
view decision rule term definitions
| Habitats | Regen | Sap | Pole | Sm Saw | Lg Saw | Uneven |
| Aspen | no | no | no | no | no | - |
| Paper Birch | no | no | no | no | no | - |
| Oak | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Assorted Hardwoods | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Northern Hardwoods | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Spruce/Fir | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Hemlock | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Jack Pine | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Red Pine | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| White Pine | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Conifer Plantations | no | no | no | no | no | - |
| Mixed Upland Hardwoods | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Mixed Northern Hardwoods | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Mixed Upland Conifer | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Mixed Pine | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Swamp Hardwoods | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Balsam Poplar & Swamp Aspen & Swamp Birch | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Bottomland Hardwoods | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Tamarack | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Northern White Cedar | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Black Spruce | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Mixed Lowland Hardwoods | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Mixed Lowland Conifer | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Non-Forested | Lake, Shorelines & Mudflats | |||||
| Special Features | Riparian |
Habitat: Ideal Piping Plover habitat consists of wide, flat, open, sandy beach which has sparse vegetation and scattered cobble. Nesting territories often include small creeks, seeps, or interdunal wetlands. Michigan plover nesting beaches average 83 m in width and 125 m from the waterline to forest edge.
Habitat: Sandy beaches, tidal flats. Nests in open sandy situations near water, in a variety of settings: beaches along Atlantic Coast and Great Lakes; sandbars along major rivers on northern Great Plains; gravel or sand flats next to alkali lakes. Winters along coast, on tidal flats and beaches.
Diet: Includes insects, marine worms, crustaceans. Diet not well known. On coast feeds on marine worms, small crustaceans, insects, other marine invertebrates. Inland, feeds mostly on insects, including small beetles, water boatmen, shore flies, midges, and many others.
Nest: Site is on open ground some distance away from water, often with large rock or clump of grass nearby, but no direct shelter or shade. May nest very close to breeding colonies of terns. Nest is shallow scrape in sand, sometimes lined with tiny shells and pebbles.