Home range size in Piping Plovers Charadrius melodus juveniles from hatching until natal site dispersal.

Abstract

In order to effectively manage the piping plover species, it is crucial to know the amount and type of habitat needed to accommodate breeding pairs and their offspring. Controversy often arises when human interests and preservational ideals disagree on how much area should be reserved for the piping plovers. Though the home ranges for the nesting site have been observed, information regarding the amount of habitat used for foraging activities is limited. The relevancy of this aspect of piping plover natural history is accentuated when areas surrounding the natal habitat are threatened by recreational land use or development. Implementation of either of these may result in habitat fragmentation, further stressing the piping plover population. This project will quantify the habitat usage of piping plovers from nest initiation through juvenile dispersal from the natal site by quantifying the size of the home range at various developmental stages.