The Piping Plover
 The Piping Plover is an endangered shorebird
that nests along the beaches of Pomquet. Because it is at risk, the plover and it's
habitat is protected by the National Parks Act to educate the public about the plight of
these birds.
Please respect any fenced or posted areas for the Piping Plover or wildlife.
The Plover is a sand-colored, sparrow sized shorebird that
nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches.The birds name is derived from its
call notes, plaintive bell-like whistles which are often heard before the birds are seen.
No larger than a bluebird, this endangered species is native to and breeds exclusively in
North America. The Piping Plover was declared Endangered in 1985 by the Committee on the
Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)
The Piping
Plover is only found on coastal beaches. The 1996 census counted 5,913 adult plovers in
the world. From this total, 422 adults used the beach of Atlantic Canada in the summer to
raise their young. This species is only found in North America. The Plovers migrate south in late summer to winter in
Cuba, Bahamas, Mexico and the U.S.
The adult has
yellow-orange legs, a black band across the forehead from eye to eye, and a black ring
around the neck. It runs in short starts and stops. When still, the plover blends  extremely well in open sandy beach
habitats.
Piping Plovers look
different in the summer than in the winter. In the summer, they are sand-colored with
orange legs, a black headband and a black neckband.
In the winter, they assume a duller grey color and lose their headbands and most of their
neckband. The bill of the Piping Plover changes from orange with a black tip to solid
black.
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For more information on the piping plover, visit the