November 5, 2023
Jay Davis
I wanted to compare the photos of the Piping Plover I found on Jekyll the past two Octobers (2022, 2023). In both cases there was a single plover, found on the South end of Jekyll close to the beach access point at the soccer fields. I wondered if it was the same bird.
The plover on the left is lighter, but more finely marked -- as if the feathers are newer. The plover on the right has darker wing feathers, extending out over the tail. I could imagine the bird on the right being a second year bird, while the bird on the left was fledged in Summer 2022. Perhaps this fits with my idea that this is the same bird -- a newly fledged bird in 2022 and a worn adult in 2023.
However, Sibley notes that a first Fall bird has a noticeably smaller bill. The bills are the same size in these birds – nice and husky. So that suggests the bird on the left is not a first year bird.
Another factor to consider is that the bird on the left has an unbroken breastband. The breastband on the right is broken. Sibley suggests that a juvenile bird has an unbroken breastband while an adult has a broken breastband. This supports my one bird theory.
Finally, in looking at photos and commentary in The Shorebird Guide (O'Brien, Crossley, Carlson, 2006), I don't see any clear way to tell first year birds and non-breeding birds apart. So this is all probably incorrect speculation.
However, in the past 10-15 years, Piping Plovers have been banded extensively, so I bet photos are available with known birth years. I wonder where to find them.