Piper Plovers

Piper Plovers

Piper Plovers, these are the cutest birds on the shores. They are so tiny but move very fast. There are about three dozen species of plovers, 15 to 30 centimetres (6 to 12 inches) long, with long wings, moderately long legs, short necks, and straight bills that are shorter than their heads. 

Piper Plovers

If you look close you can see this Plover pulling a very small worm type thing out of the sand. You can imagine how small this bird is, there is probably no way we could see this little worm in the sand.

Piper Plovers

I read that birds tuck one foot up in their feathers to preserve their heat. They lose heat through their feet and on this morning it was pretty cold out. But they still stand in the water.

Cuteness overload.

Piper Plovers

by Sandra J


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44 Replies to “Piper Plovers”

  1. Aren’t they cute with their short tails and plump bodies? A UK photographer who photographs shore birds has featured this cutie pie, but also a shore bird called a “Sanderling” which looks very similar, but a longer body.

      1. Yes, little balls of fluff I’m sure. Andy, the UK photographer takes a lot of photos of Sanderlings – he said they are his favorite bird. I can’t tell any of them apart and he has some birds with extremely long pointed beaks. It’s nice to see what birds are around the world.

  2. Pipers are absolutely adorable! As just a note, your second to last shot are likely not plovers as their bills do not have the rounded nubby look to them. Traveling right now (along the Texas Gulf Coast) so I can’t say for sure, but my quick guess it they are more in the sanderlings group. Absolutely fantastic shots of a very endangered bird.

    1. Thank you Brian, I thought so to on the last shots, it is hard to identify them at times. I appreciate when others can help. I saw your other comment about Texas, can’t wait to see those pictures. I started counting birds and made a spread sheet also, up to 102 that I know of. I might miss some that are hard to identify but still fun to count. Safe travels.

      1. Added a few lifers so far here in Texas (going after another big one tomorrow morning), and the annual count is growing very nicely. Glad to see you are keeping a count – always fun to look back and see those totals.

  3. They really are quite adorable. Once during hot weather, I saw geese standing under a shady tree with one leg held out away from their bodies. Could it be they were trying to keep cool? I envy how birds balance…keep warm in winter…and fly! 🙂

    1. I bet that might be what they were doing. Yes it is amazing how they stand so perfectly still for such a long time.

  4. I discovered them last year during our vacation at the Magdalen Islands (Québec,Canada) – they are more than cute… especially when the try to run away from the incoming waves!

  5. I like these little birds, they are very fast. You have to be very nimble with the camera to catch them. If you are too loud, they are gone immediately. Very nice photos

    1. Yes, they are so cute when they are scurrying from one place to another so quickly. I happen to have a chair with and just sat down to watch them.

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