Piping Plovers are small, endangered shorebirds in Manitoba. Its call is described as a "plaintive peep-lo" which made it the perfect name for this blog as it too is a plaintive call, a Call to Action.
This is a question I have heard often over the course of my guardian work at Grand Beach. I am by no means an expert in plover-speak, but this is what I have observed over the past month. Adult plovers with chicks on the run have two basic calls. There are variations in how many times the call is made and how quickly they are delivered, but the two calls are consistent. One is 'peep,' the other, 'peep-lo' from which this blog gets its name.
When the adult plover delivers the 'peep' call that appears to mean 'stand still, don't move.' It is delivered whenever a threat approaches, whether that's a jogger invading their space on the beach or a raven flying overhead. Once 'peep' is delivered, the chicks stop what they are doing and freeze.
'Peep-lo' translates into 'follow me' or 'come to me' depending on where the adult is in relation to the chicks or whether the adult is on the move. If the chicks heed these two calls, they have a very good chance of avoiding any kind of mammal, bird or human trouble.
KP
