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Cape Cod National SeashoreNauset Bicycle Trail, Eastham
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Cape Cod National Seashore
Birds
A piping plover incubating a nest.

NPS Image

A piping plover sits atop its barely discernable eggs.

The Piping Plover 
The piping plover is a small, stocky, sandy-colored bird resembling a sandpiper. When still, the piping plover blends into the pale background of open, sandy habitat on outer beaches where it feeds and nests. It became a protected species under the Endangered Species Act on January 10, 1986. Along the Atlantic Coast it is designated as threatened, which means that the population would continue to decline if not protected.

Illustrated Guide to Shorebirds of Cape Cod National Seashore

directional compass  

Did You Know?
Coastal waters were the original highways of the Cape. Today’s common but puzzling terms “Lower Cape” and “Upper Cape” (referring to the northern and southern areas of Cape Cod) originated with sailors. Southwesterly winds meant ships heading north were sailing "down-wind" to the Lower Cape.

Last Updated: May 07, 2009 at 09:17 EST