Basic Beach-nesting Bird Biology:
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Breeding season for most beach-nesting birds is April through the end of August
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Beach-nesting birds lay eggs directly on sand in a small scrape and incubate for 3 -
5 weeks depending on species
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Eggs and chicks are well camouflaged to stay hidden from predators
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Beach-nesting birds lay 1-5 eggs depending upon species
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Chicks can walk and run within hours of hatching, but cannot fly for 3 – 5 weeks
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Piping Plover chicks are able to feed themselves as soon as they hatch
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Tern chicks are fed by parents until they are able to fly, while oystercatcher chicks are fed by parents until their bills fully develop.
Cool Facts:
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Both males and females incubate the eggs and take care of the chicks
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A large proportion of Piping Plovers over winter in the Bahamas, which is over
1,000 miles away
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Terns dive head first into the water to catch fish
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Piping Plovers will pretend to be injured by feigning a broken wing to lure predators away from their nests and chicks
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American Oystercatchers use two foraging techniques: hammering and stabbing
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Male terns will court females by offering her a fish. They can often be seen waving a fish in front of a female during the breeding season
Threatened and Endangered Species Information:
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Due in part to threats such as habitat loss from development, human disturbance, and predators, many of these species are listed as threatened or endangered
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The Piping Plover is a federally threatened species and also a Connecticut State threatened species
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Least Terns and American Oystercatchers are Connecticut State threatened species
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The Common Tern is a Connecticut State species of special concern