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USGS · 70019282

Captive-rearing piping plovers: Developing techniques to augment wild populations

A.N. Powell·F.J. Cuthbert·L.C. Wemmer·A.W. Doolittle·S.T. Feirer
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Abstract

Techniques for captive-rearing and releasing piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) were developed using a surrogate species, killdeer (Charadrius vociferus). We compared captive- and parent-reared killdeer, and parent-reared piping plovers and determined that growth and behavior were similar. After surrogate trials determined that captive-rearing was feasible, we used the same methods to raise piping plover chicks from salvaged eggs. For captive-reared chick of both species, survival to fledging was higher than and behaviors similar to parent-reared chicks in the wild. Rearing techniques were fine-tuned, and ten piping plover fledglings were released to the wild. Based on our results, we developed recommendations for captive-rearing piping plovers using salvaged eggs to enhance productivity of small populations.

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90° N90° S · 180° W ← longitude → 180° E
Source-reported bounding extent: 45.254228666493844° to 46.1306856022664° latitude; -85.31505685416991° to -84.0087899532353° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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A.N. Powell, F.J. Cuthbert, L.C. Wemmer, A.W. Doolittle, S.T. Feirer. 1997. Captive-rearing piping plovers: Developing techniques to augment wild populations. https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1098-2361(1997)16%3A6%3C461%3A%3Aaid-zoo1%3E3.0.co%3B2-8

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