[Tweeters] Semipalmated Plover Behavior

[Dennis Paulson]

Quite a few species of plovers use this “foot-quivering” behavior, and it is presumed to stimulate their small prey animals to move, so they can detect them.

Dennis Paulson
Seattle


> On Jan 10, 2021, at 3:21 PM, Steven Dammer <dammerecologist1990 at gmail.com> wrote:

> 

> Funny enough I noticed this behavior too and assumed the same! I wasn't able to dig up any info either. I assumed it had to be their way of agitating small inverts to either come closer to the surface or locate them

> 

> On Sun, Jan 10, 2021, 14:12 Greg Harrington <gregtheteacher at gmail.com <mailto:gregtheteacher at gmail.com>> wrote:

> Greetings!

> 

> About a month ago I was out at the coast watching some Semipalmated Plovers feeding in the tidal zone.  It was really cold and I noticed one bird’s leg shaking — and being rather cold myself I assumed at first it was shivering.  Looking over at another one I saw it doing the same thing — and I wondered at that point if it was shaking its leg a part of a probing/feeding behavior.  I have not really found any info about this, but it makes sense since their bills are too short to probe the mud it makes sense to me that they’d have an alternative means for sensing or finding snacks.

> 

> If anyone has any insights or has seen similar behavior I’d enjoy hearing more.

> 

> In terms of an early Spring — I have a coneflower plant that is putting out a bloom which is astonishing since it is about 5 months too early!

> 

> Happy Birding,

> Greg Harrington

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