Semipalmated plovers (Charadrius semipalmatus) are very recognizable shorebirds, with their single band and their short bills with an orange base. They eat insects, which they dig from the mud and sand along shorelines. They are pretty talkative plovers, as you can hear on the Audubon site.
Semipalmated plover, Staten Island, August 19, 2019
Semipalmated plover, near Cross Bay Boulevard, Jamaica Bay, May 15, 2019
Semipalmated plovers, Broad Channel American Park, August 16, 2017
The semipalmated plovers in the Filming the Feathers video were seen at Orchard Beach, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Broad Channel American Park and the beaches at Mount Loretto Unique Area and Wolfe's Pond. (The "semipalmated" refers to the partial webbing between the plover's toes.) The music is Beethoven's 8th Symphony, arranged for recorders and performed by Papalin.
These are beautiful birds, distinguished from their killdeer cousins by the single band on the front (the killdeer have two).
Semipalmated plovers, Broad Channel American Park, August 16, 2017
Semipalmated plovers, Broad Channel American Park, August 28, 2017
These photos were shot between June 1 and October 4, 2017, at the various beaches and shores in the Bronx, Staten Island and Queens.
