If you are birding beaches on the Atlantic Coast this spring and summer please be on the lookout for Piping Plovers bearing bands and flags. Information for reporting each flag color is provided below. If you are in Connecticut please cc both Laura.Saucier@ct.gov and ctwaterbirds@gmail.com with any reports, and feel free to email us with any questions.
Please include the following information with each report:
Flag and band colors, location on each leg, and any alphanumeric codes on the flags.
Location of sighting
Date of sighting
Any photo that shows the bands and/or flag
Coded black, gray, or white flags on the upper leg: These are coded flags with two alphnumeric characters. Please send reports to Cheri.Gratto-Trevor@ec.gc.ca.
Photo: Ron D’Entremont
Green flags (coded and uncoded) on the upper leg: Please send reports to vt.plover@gmail.com. Some of the green flags are coded with three alphanumeric characters, but other pipers carry an uncoded (plain) green flag along with lower leg bands.
Pink coded flags on the upper leg with two alphanumeric characters: Please report to vt.plover@gmail.com and cc wgolder@audubon.org.
Orange flags (uncoded) and bands: Please report to plover@umn.edu.
Photo: M. Jeffery
Color bands on only the upper legs and no flag: Some of these have one band on each upper leg, some have two bands per upper leg. Please report to michelle.stantial@gmail.com and cc vt.plover@gmail.com.
Thank you for your help! Please remember that the more information and reports these projects receive the more can be understood about the biology of this threatened species.
