Substrate and Vegetation Selection by Nesting Piping Plovers

Abstract

We studied substrate composition and vegetation cover at Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) nests and paired random plots on New York beaches that had been widened by renourishment (deposition of dredged sand). Most nests (59.4%, n = 32) were in unvegetated plots, mean ± SE vegetative cover around nests was 7.5 ± 1.7%, and all plovers nested in <47% cover. Most nests (59.4%) were on pure sand and mean coarse grain cover (pebble and cobble-sized objects) on nest plots was 9.1 ± 2.6%. Nest plots were more likely to be vegetated than paired random plots. Coarse substrate also was of high relative importance in distinguishing nests and random plots. Beach management projects can reduce sparse vegetation and coarse substrate, which may affect Piping Plover nest site selection.