Semipalmated Plovers are small shorebirds that breed in the Arctic tundra and winter along coastlines from the southern United States to northern South America. Their diet consists primarily of small invertebrates that live on sandy beaches and mudflats.
What do Semipalmated Plovers eat?
Semipalmated Plovers are opportunistic feeders that eat a variety of small invertebrates. Their main prey items include:
- Insects: flies, beetles, moths, butterflies, mayflies, grasshoppers, crickets
- Worms: polychaete worms, nematodes, nemerteans
- Mollusks: snails, limpets, mussels
- Crustaceans: sand fleas, amphipods, shrimp, isopods, crab larvae
- Other invertebrates: spiders, millipedes, marine worms
They usually feed by picking invertebrates off the mud or sand surface, or probing into the substrate. Semipalmated Plovers will also occasionally catch flying insects.
What is their foraging behavior?
Semipalmated Plovers exhibit several characteristic foraging behaviors:
- Pecking: They pick up food items directly off the substrate surface.
- Probing: They insert their bill into mud or sand to capture buried prey.
- Foot trembling: They vibrate their feet in shallow water to bring worms and other prey items to the surface.
- Chasing: They may run after flying insects or other mobile prey.
Semipalmated Plovers usually forage while walking slowly and methodically across the intertidal zone. They will pause frequently to peck or probe the ground. Their bills are ideally suited for quickly picking up small food items.
Where do they forage?
Semipalmated Plovers feed in a variety of intertidal marine and freshwater habitats, including:
- Sandy beaches
- Mudflats
- Tidal pools
- Lake and pond shores
- Exposed seabeds
- Mangrove forests
- Coastal lagoons
- Stream and river banks
They prefer areas with wet sand or mud where it’s easy to probe for invertebrates. Semipalmated Plovers are highly vulnerable while feeding with their heads down, so they prefer open habitats where they can easily detect approaching predators.
What is their daily feeding routine?
Semipalmated Plovers follow a daily routine synchronized with the tides:
- Early morning: Forage on the upper beach as the tide recedes.
- Late morning: Move down to the freshly exposed mudflats to feed.
- Afternoon: Rest and preen during high tide when feeding areas are inundated.
- Evening: Return to the mudflats to feed as the tide goes out again.
Their feeding activity corresponds closely with periods of tidal exposure. At high tide, they are limited to a narrow band of beach habitat. When the tide goes out, an abundance of feeding territory is revealed.
How much do they eat?
The daily food intake of Semipalmated Plovers can vary based on factors like temperature, season, tidal cycles, and food availability. However, some studies have estimated their daily consumption:
- Chicks may eat up to 60% of their body weight per day.
- Adults may eat 15-30% of their body weight per day.
Given that these plovers weigh between 25-50 grams, their daily intake would be around 4-15 grams of small invertebrates. Their high metabolism requires them to eat frequently while foraging.
Do they drink water?
Semipalmated Plovers meet most of their water needs through their food. They are rarely observed drinking water. However, they may drink some surface water while feeding along shorelines or in wetlands.
Do they feed at night?
Semipalmated Plovers are considered daytime feeders. They use visual cues to locate prey and avoid nocturnal predators. However, they may opportunistically feed at night in areas with artificial lighting near shorelines.
Do they eat seeds or vegetation?
Semipalmated Plovers are carnivores that feed exclusively on animal material. There is no evidence that they consume seeds, vegetation, or any plant-based foods in their natural diet.
Do the chicks eat the same diet?
Semipalmated Plover chicks hatch with the ability to immediately feed themselves. The chicks eat the same invertebrate foods as the adults. Their parents do not directly feed or regurgitate food for the chicks. So the chicks directly practice the same foraging techniques and eat the same diet as adult plovers from a very young age.
Conclusion
In summary, Semipalmated Plovers are specialized feeders that rely on intertidal invertebrate prey. Their diet, foraging strategy, and feeding routine are closely adapted to probe for small food items in soft substrates along shorelines. Both adults and chicks are independent feeders that consume the same diet of worms, crustaceans, mollusks and other tiny beach prey.