Semipalmated Plover
Semipalmated Plover has surged: up 111% on the route-weighted index since 1984.
About the Semipalmated Plover
The Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) is a North American member of the Plovers & Lapwings (Charadriidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the shorebirds.
- Size
- 6–12 in long (15–30 cm) — a small to medium shorebird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Shorelines, mudflats, beaches, flooded fields and wet meadows.
- Diet
- Invertebrates probed or picked from mud, sand and shallow water.
- Range
- Recorded on 54 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 1 state, most concentrated in the BCR 4.
- Family
- Charadriidae · Shorebirds
Notable Semipalmated Plover Trends
No notable trend signals for Semipalmated Plover. See the full index history below.
Semipalmated Plover Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Semipalmated Plover is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.01 (95% range 0.00–0.02). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±23.9%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.02 |
| 2026 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.02 |
| 2027 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.02 |
| 2028 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.02 |
| 2029 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.02 |
Where the Semipalmated Plover Is Detected
BBS routes recording Semipalmated Plover, sized by most recent count.
Semipalmated Plover Population Trend by State
| Alaska | -20% | 1984 | 54 |
Semipalmated Plover Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 2 | +30% | 1985 | 19 |
| BCR 4 | -87% | 1985 | 29 |
Semipalmated Plover Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 111% since 1984. Many shorebirds have declined steeply, reflecting pressure on the coastal and wetland stopovers they depend on.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.