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Sounds
Vocalizations
Development
Little information. Chicks can vocalize before hatching (CAC). Bergstrom (1988b) described 2 calls made by 1 chick: Peep call resembled pip call of adults and was made by a chick being held. Louder, higher-pitched cheep was given, apparently as a distress call, when chick was banded.
Vocal Array
Bergstrom (1988b) provided the most comprehensive treatment of vocalizations associated with breeding behavior of Wilson’s Plover in Texas and Virginia (see Fig. 2).
Tweet: Clear, slurred whistle given most often by males; probably functions as alarm call.
Peet: Short whistle, most commonly occurring in pairs or triplets, that also seems to have alarm function. In Georgia, Wilson’s Plovers, especially males, often were observed giving these calls from top of dune or other high vantage point in response to human intrusion (CAC).
Pip: Similar to low-intensity peet . This call was observed to be given when a bird left the nest but never at nest relief. Its function is unclear. Arriving birds during nest relief use a fweep call that is louder than the pip .
Song Rattle: Given by both sexes during territorial displays and by males during ground and air chases. In Georgia, intrusion into plover nesting areas observed to result in groups of plovers following the observer giving tweet or peet calls and then flying overhead giving Song Rattle (CAC).
Distraction Call: Buzzy call, usually with descending pitch and given in series. It is used during Broken-wing Displays (see Behavior: predation, below).
Mooing Call: Also described as dovelike (Tomkins 1944); given during Scrape Ceremony (see Behavior: sexual behavior, below).
Brood Call: Evidently there is also a call used by parents to lead or brood their chicks, but Bergstrom was unable to hear or record the call, although he could see the parent’s throat move.
Phenology
No information.
Daily Pattern
No information.
Places Of Vocalizing
See above.
Repertoire And Delivery Of Songs
See above.
Social Context And Presumed Functions
See above.
Nonvocal Sounds
None known.
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
