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Migration
Nature Of Migration In The Species
Migratory in northern parts of breeding range; other populations resident.
Timing And Routes Of Migration
Limited information on timing of migration, mainly from northern areas where breeders do not winter (see Fig. 6). C. w. wilsonia withdraws from e. Louisiana, Mississippi, and most other areas north of Florida during winter. Migration occurs Mar–May along Gulf Coast of Mexico (Howell and Webb 1995). Spring migration begins late Feb or early Mar in n. Florida (Stevenson and Anderson 1994), second week of Mar in Mississippi (Turcotte and Watts 1999), and Mar in S. Carolina (Post and Gauthreaux 1989). Farther north, earliest arrival date for Maryland is 16 Apr (Hoffman 1996). Since 1970, 6 records for New Jersey; all from southern coast during spring, ranging from 16 Mar to 26 May (Walsh et al. 1999). In Massachusetts, where species has never bred, considered very rare but “almost annual” visitor, with >25 records between 19 Apr and 21 Sep; most records have occurred late May and Jun or following hurricanes during Aug and Sep (Veit and Petersen 1993: 159).
On Georgia barrier islands, leaves some nesting beaches by Jul, but observed congregating in flocks on other beaches through Aug (Corbat 1990). Most fall migration in Aug and Sep, although occasionally some birds may linger at northern limits of range until Nov (Palmer 1967). The only fall records that did not follow tropical storm in Massachusetts were 25 Aug 1934 and 28 Aug 1941 (Veit and Petersen 1993). No recent fall records for New Jersey (Walsh et al. 1999). Latest Maryland date 6 Sep (Hoffman 1996), and latest nonwintering date for S. Carolina 17 Oct (Post and Gauthreaux 1989). In Florida, migration occurs mid-Jul–mid-Sep, with peak movement in Oct (H. Cruickshank in Stevenson and Anderson 1994). Departs Mississippi by late Oct or Nov (Turcotte and Watts 1999). Migration occurs Aug–Oct along Gulf Coast of Mexico (Howell and Webb 1995). Most individuals leave west coast of Panama during last half of Mar; return there in numbers in late Sep (Strauch and Abele 1979). Numbers also decrease Sep–Mar in Cuba and Puerto Rico (Raffaele et al. 1998), perhaps indicating the departure and return of some local breeders there as well.
Migratory Behavior
No information.
Control And Physiology
No information.
Corbat, Carol A. and Peter W. Bergstrom. 2000. Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/516
