1. Connectivity of Eastern Canada Piping Plovers (Life-cycle Conservation) Cheri Gratto-Trevor Science & Technology Branch, Environment Canada and Jen Rock, Julie McKnight, Karen Potter, François Shaffer, and Krista Baker Canadian Wildlife Service and Alain Richard Attention Fragîle

2. Eastern Canada: Gulf of St. Lawrence and Southern NS Populations

3. In E Canada, population recovery goals have not been met, and the overall population has been in decline, even though productivity has been relatively high (ave. ~1.6 fledged young per pair) Eastern Canada Population Trends

4. A banding study from 1998-2003 (Calvert et al. 2006) found that: 1.Birds produced in E Canada are rarely breeding in the U.S. Atlantic (E Canada is not losing birds to the U.S.) 2.Eastern Canada Gulf juvenile survival rates appeared lower than those from other areas A recent review (Gratto-Trevor et al. 2013), analyzing factors correlated with population trends from 1998-2013 concluded that: Eastern Canada Piping Plover populations are ultimately driven primarily by factors (weather; possibly disturbance, etc.) outside the breeding season. Previous Eastern Canada Analyses

5. So, in 2014 (with preliminary work in 2013), we initiated a study to determine: -where Eastern Canada breeding populations concentrate in winter -current survival rates of Eastern Canada juveniles and adults -what is most affecting survival, and at what part of the annual cycle In this presentation, we discuss our findings to date on nonbreeding distributions, how it compares to previous information, and resighting rates (during winter, return rates in the following summer, return rates from different wintering areas Overall Study Objectives

6. Methods Captured adults on nest, chicks with handnets Measured, sex determined

7. Marking Both adults and chicks marked with a metal band on one upper leg and coded flag (2 letter/numbers) on the other upper leg: Black flags GULF (and a few white flags from 2013) Grey or White flags S NS

8. 2013-4 Marking Locations NL added in 2015 Cape Breton NS added in 2015

9. Numbers marked in 2013-4

10. Return Rates Birds present in summer 2014 seen summer 2015

11. Return Rates from Different Winter Areas Too small a sample size to say anything, but awfully similar!

12. Nonbreeding Sightings -solicited nonbreeding resightings from biologists, managers, and birders -contracted resighting surveys of potential wintering site gaps -in winter 2014-5 attempted coverage of ~80% of Atlantic breeders’ wintering areas

13. (Percentage of birds observed at least once during migration or winter) Percentage Seen During Nonbreeding Season

14. (Percentage of birds observed at least once between Nov and the end of Feb) Percentage Seen During Winter

15. Why So Few Seen in Winter? We attempted to examine 80% of wintering birds for bands, but only 30% of the marked birds were seen... 1.some birds died before winter (of the adults seen in winter, 80% were observed the following summer; of the adults not seen in winter, only 55% were observed the following summer) 2.some birds were missed, with a single survey at some sites 3.incomplete coverage of the Bahamas and Cuba 4.are there sites we don’t know about?

16. Intl Censuses % Breeders seen Winter (Including only Caribbean, FL Gulf and Atlantic wintering birds VS Atlantic Breeders; Elliott-Smith et al. 2015, Elliott-Smith, Haig and Powers 2009, Ferland and Haig 2002)

17. Fall Resightings (up to Nov 2014)

18. Spring Resightings (March-April)

19. Results from Winter Paper Grey: E Canada Orange: US Great Lakes Green: Missouri River, SD Black: SK Gratto-Trevor et al. 2012

20. Winter Distribution (E Canada results vs 2011 Winter Census)

21. Winter Distribution (c ompared to previous studies) The Bahamas were not checked for marked birds until recently But why such a difference in NC, and FL Atlantic?

22. Where to go from here... 1.Compare winter distribution results to current banding efforts of U.S. Atlantic breeders 2.Increase our sample of winter resightings to see if pattern changes 3.Due to a number of leg injuries from the coded flags we may not be continuing the banding effort in Eastern Canada

23. Acknowledgements Many thanks to Andrew Boyne CWS, Bird Studies Canada, Nature NB, Island Nature Trust, Kouchibouguac National Park, PEI National Park, and many others who helped with fieldwork, permits and logistics And much appreciation is due everyone who sent in resightings of our birds, especially Sid Maddock, Pat and Doris Leary, Chris Davis (NJ Fish and Wildlife), Todd Pover (Conserve Wildlife NJ), Jon Altman (Cape Lookout Natl Seashore), Matt Jeffery and Walker Golder (Audubon), and Danny Sauvageau

24. Questions???