First records of Piping Plover Charadrius melodus for Venezuela, with a revision of its non-breeding distribution

Abstract

The non-breeding distribution of Piping Plover Charadrius melodus outside the USA has only recently been elucidated, with new records in Central American and Caribbean countries during the last decade. A specimen from Ecuador was the only definite record in South America prior to 2018. We present two records of Piping Plover in Venezuela; the first at the Paraguana Peninsula, Falcon state, on 25 February 2018, and the second in the northern part of Cienaga de Los Olivitos Wildlife Refuge and Fishing Reserve, Zulia state, on 5 March 2020.