piping plover

noun

: a small pale plover (Charadrius melodus) chiefly of eastern North America

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The Town of South Bruce Peninsula was fined $100,000 for destroying the habitat of the piping plover: a tiny endangered bird that had vanished from the Great Lakes region for 30 years, until a pair suddenly returned to the beach in 2007. Longreads, 1 Apr. 2022 Other sightings around the Cape included a common gallinule at Santuit Pond in Mashpee, single common nighthawks in Bourne and Brewster, late snowy egrets in Sandwich and Wellfleet plus 3 at Monomoy NWR, a late piping plover at Nauset Beach in Orleans, and 2 Bohemian waxwings in Eastham. BostonGlobe.com, 9 Nov. 2022 In addition to the piping plover, the FAA has identified at least nine other endangered species that would be adversely affected by the SpaceX expansion, including the red knot shorebird, northern aplomado falcon, Gulf Coast jaguarundi (a rare wildcat), ocelot and five types of sea turtle. Olivia Solon, NBC News, 8 Dec. 2021 In January 2000, Windham said, 152 acres of land known as Little Bear Island — a nesting destination for coastal birds such as the piping plover, peregrine falcon and osprey — were preserved by the Wetlands America Trust, part of the Ducks Unlimited nonprofit conservation group. Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2021 Common with birds as diverse as the piping plover, peregrine falcon, and ostrich (as seen above), scrapes, when successful, are deep enough to provide shelter from the elements and the eyes of predators, but high enough to not be chilled or washed away by water. Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2011 The new Airbus A320neo will also feature an animal image of a piping plover, an endangered species of bird that was once close to extinction in the 1980s. Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner, 25 Mar. 2021 In addition to large gull concentrations off the east side, sightings included a brown booby, the continued presence of an American white pelican, a late piping plover, a snowy egret, a Western kingbird, and two common ravens. BostonGlobe.com, 6 Nov. 2021 In 2016 the endangered piping plover successfully nested and fledged three chicks on the chain, and this trip offers a chance to see the bird along with other migrating birds. Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9 July 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'piping plover.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of piping plover was in 1828

Dictionary Entries Near piping plover

Cite this Entry

“Piping plover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piping%20plover. Accessed 30 May. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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