A Productive Piping Plover Breeding Season at Assateague

An estimated 38 pairs of piping plovers, Charadrius melodus, nested along the Maryland portion of Assateague Island National Seashore during 2014 and fledged 59 chicks. The resulting productivity numbers, 1.6 chicks fledged per pair, are the highest since 2004. Several factors may be attributed to the success of this year’s number of fledged chicks, including mild summer weather and effective management.

Since monitoring began in 1986, the piping plover breeding population has fluctuated between 14 and 66 pairs, while productivity has fluctuated between 0.4 and 2.4 chicks fledged per breeding pair. In the last five years, the breeding population averaged around 42 pairs, with an average productivity of 1.1 chicks fledged per breeding pair.

There are two distinct breeding areas within the Maryland portion of Assateague Island. The northern six miles of the island supports 90% of the piping plover breeding population, while the twelve mile stretch of beach known as the Over Sand Vehicle (OSV) zone supports 10%. This year, the four pairs in the OSV zone fledged twelve chicks, for a productivity of 3.0 chicks fledged per breeding pair. This year’s productivity within the OSV zone ties with that of 2011 and is the fourth year in a row that productivity has been at or above 2.0 chicks fledged per breeding pair in this area.
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