Is This Really an 8-Legged Bird? Take a Closer Look.

Piping plover parents have their work cut out for them with these precocious chicks. Ready to roam the beach just hours after hatching, hungry chicks will leave the nest in search of their first meal. Fortunately, mom and dad are always nearby to keep the chicks safe and warm. This post by peanut.chu.adventures shows three little piping plover chicks scrambling for a good spot under their mother’s wings. The resulting “eight-legged” bird may look like something out of a science fiction film. However, huddling with their chicks is the way piping plover parents shelter their babies from harsh weather and predators.

The Piping Plover

Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) are tiny, migratory shore birds native to North America. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, there are three sub-species of piping plovers in the U.S. and Canada. They can be found on the shores of the Great Lakes, the beaches of the Atlantic coastline, and along the lakes and rivers of the Northern Great Plains, including Canada.

These plump little birds are only around 6-7 inches long with a wingspan of about 15 inches. Most of the year, they have sandy-colored upper bodies with white undersides. However, during breeding season, both sexes have different plumage. They have black breastbands and black brow bars. Their legs are orange and they have orange beaks with black tips. However, the males generally have a more prominent black breastband, and the black brow bar reaches their eyes. So, the bird in the video above is likely female, as the brow bar stops short of the eyes.

Nesting and Hatching

Piping plovers breed at around a year old. They usually only have one brood, or family, per year. They are generally monogamous, at least during the breeding season. Both parents play a role in hatching and caring for the chicks. After courtship, the males dig shallow nests in the sand called “scrapes.” The expectant parents line the scrape with rocks and shells to camouflage their gray to cream-colored eggs with black spots. Males and females both protect their territory from other birds, as well as predators. If a predator comes near, the parent may fake an injury to trick the predator into following them away from the nest.

The female lays an egg around every other day until four eggs have been laid. The parents take turns incubating their eggs for around 28-30 days. The eggs typically start hatching in late May to early June. The newly hatched chicks have speckled, sand-colored feathers to help them remain hidden. Piping plover chicks are precocial, which means they are highly developed at birth. The chicks are mobile and able to forage for food in the sand or earth. Their diet is the same as adult birds, consisting of small crustaceans, worms, snails, flies, and spiders, among other things.

Brooding Behavior

Both parents also take turns brooding the chicks. Brooding involves keeping the chicks safe and warm until they are able to regulate their body temperatures. As shown in the video above, piping plover chicks wiggle into their parents’ bellies, making the parent look like they’ve grown some extra legs. The chicks usually stick close to the nesting territory, exploring further away as they mature. Fledging takes place between 30-35 days after they hatch. This is when a chick’s feathers are developed enough to allow them to fly.

All three populations of piping plovers are believed to migrate south after breeding. They spend the winter along the southern Atlantic coast, the Gulf coast, and in Cuba and the Bahamas. Piping plovers begin to fly south in late July or early August. Researchers note that females may leave the brood after only 2-3 weeks. However, the males frequently stay with the chicks until they can fly. Once the parents have left the nesting territory, the chicks follow shortly after. They’ll spend the winter soaking up the sun until they migrate back to the breeding grounds in April or May to start their own families.