this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2026

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Piping plover (lemmy.world)

submitted 2 weeks ago by Tempus_Fugit@lemmy.world to c/birding@lemmy.world

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Whitefish Point, MI. August 2026.

I realized I never shared this cutie. I went to Whitefish Point just to find this bird and I was amazed I found it in five minutes. This was the only one too. They're a protected species so I kept my distance getting these. There were a ton of logs to hide behind.

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[–] KevinFRK@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Three different rings seems a bit of overkill of whoever is monitoring these.

Very nice photos though!

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[–] kxohodek@thelemmy.club 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 child)

This individual featured in the Wikipedia page for piping plover also seems to have 3 rings but they don't look as obtrusive as the ones in OP's post somehow. Maybe it's the size of the rings?

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[–] Tempus_Fugit@lemmy.world [S] 6 points 2 weeks ago

This individual was a juvenile. That's probably why

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[–] Tempus_Fugit@lemmy.world [S] 5 points 2 weeks ago

Right, you'd think two would be enough. A unique ID number for when they die and one colored one to track by as sight. I know they don't really affect the bird in a negative way, but three seems excessive for such a small bird.

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[–] Zak@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago (1 child)

This page explains the color coding system.

On a large bird like a goose, it's possible to have bands with 3-4 character codes that can be read from a long distance with a decent telephoto lens or spotting scope. The piping plover is a small bird, so multiple colored bands are the easiest way to have a unique pattern an observer can read.

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[–] KevinFRK@lemmy.world 1 point 3 days ago

Well, I didn't expect that! Many thanks for the insight.

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[–] glibg@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 weeks ago

I love these little guys. Great shots!

[–] crowcore_explorer@piefed.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 weeks ago

i was up there this spring. got a look at the two adults. apparently there were three? babies, but they must have been hiding. like you i was surprised how easy it was to find them. glad you got to see one!

[–] islandcoda42@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 weeks ago

Awesome pics! I live on Martha’s Vineyard and can see these guys from a distance, but hard to get good pics without a real camera. We also go way out the way to accommodate these birds, closing beaches to osv’s etc.