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Monarch caterpillar

Mass Audubon State of the Birds

Find Bird Groups

Piping Plover
Charadrius melodus

The Piping Plover has become an icon of coastal breeding bird management, with Massachusetts hosting some of the most productive beaches for this species on the Atlantic Coast. Although its numbers are increasing, Piping Plovers continue to require active management in order to maintain a healthy population. A federally Threatened Species, its breeding range is restricted to outer coastal beaches in Massachusetts.
Conservation Status
Continued Action/Monitoring Needed

Tracking This Bird In Massachusetts

Climate Vulnerability Score

Highly Vulnerable
Mass Audubon Mean likelihood of occurrence (current)
0.16
Mass Audubon Mean likelihood of occurrence (2050)
0.12
Mass Audubon Absolute change in likelihood of occurrence
-0.03
U.S. Forest Service Climate Change Bird Atlas (Hadly Hi emissions scenario)a
n/a
National Audubon Societyb
Climate Endangered
a USFS model data for Massachusetts by 2100
b National Audubon Society's Climate Change Atlas was completed on a continental scale.

Breeding Bird Atlas

Atlas I Blocks
62
Atlas II Blocks
106
Percent of state occupied - Atlas I
6
Percent of state occupied - Atlas II
10
Percent change
156

Breeding Bird Survey

Annual trend 1966-2010
P-value
Number of routes
Recent trend 2000-2010

Christmas Bird Count

Trend (1963-2008)
0
Significantly different than zero
Trend (1963-1979)
0
Significantly different than zero
Trend (1979-2008)
0
Significantly different than zero

Habitat Usage

Breeding

Coastal

Wintering

Does not winter in Massachusetts

Climate Suitability Current and 2050