Piping Plover

An adult piping plover. The piping plover is a small migratory shorebird listed as endangered in Canada and the U.S. Great Lakes, and threatened throughout the remainder of its U.S. breeding and winter range. Recent surveys indicate that there are only about 8,000 adults in existence. The USGS is conducting genetics investigations to address taxonomic questions, understand the genetic structure of the population, and to shed light on past genetic bottlenecks.