Alan Murphy/ BIA / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) in broken wing display, Texas

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) biologist, Ben Pearl, picking up chick from mud flat in salt pond, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City, Bay Area, California

Greg Oakley/ BIA / Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus) on beach, New South Wales, Australia

Michael Milicia/ BIA / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) in broken wing display, Massachusetts

Michael Milicia/ BIA / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) stretching, Massachusetts

Michael Milicia/ BIA / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) with chick, Massachusetts

David Williams / Mongolian Plover (Charadrius mongolus) running, Thailand

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) in winter plumage on beach, Point Reyes National Seashore, California

Tom Vezo / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) sitting on eggs in nest on ground, Long Island, New York

Konrad Wothe / Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) male at nest, Europe

Tim Fitzharris / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) parent displaying while trying to distract predator from nest, North America

Agustin Esmoris / Two-banded Plover (Charadrius falklandicus) on nest, Chubut, Argentina

Tomasz Zawadzki/ BIA / Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), Fuerteventura, Spain

Alan Murphy/ BIA / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) at nest with eggs, Texas

Rob Drummond/ BIA / Double-banded Plover (Charadrius bicinctus) flapping, Victoria, Australia

Rob Drummond/ BIA / Double-banded Plover (Charadrius bicinctus) on beach, Victoria, Australia

Hans Glader/ BIA / Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) male, Lesvos, Greece

Hans Glader/ BIA / Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) male, Lesvos, Greece

David Williams/ BIA / Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) running, Goa, India

Michael Milicia/ BIA / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) parent sheltering chicks, Massachusetts

Michael Milicia/ BIA / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) running on beach, Massachusetts

Michael Milicia/ BIA / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), Massachusetts

Michael Milicia/ BIA / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) parent sheltering chicks, Massachusetts

Volker Lautenbach/ BIA / Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius), Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Alan Murphy/ BIA / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) flying, Texas

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) nest in restored salt pond with shells laid by biologists to increase camouflage possibilities for adults, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City, Bay Area, Cali...

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) biologist, Karine Tokatlian, holding chick during banding, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City, Bay Area, California

Alan Murphy/ BIA / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) on nest with eggs, Texas

Alan Murphy/ BIA / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) in defensive posture, Texas

Alan Murphy/ BIA / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) in broken wing display, Texas

David Williams/ BIA / Mongolian Plover (Charadrius mongolus) hunting crab prey, Thailand

Filippo Nucifora/ BIA / Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) male, Zurich, Switzerland

Sebastian Muenter/ BIA / Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) with prey, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Kevin Winterhoff/ BIA / Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) parent removing egg shell from nest, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Peter Hering/ BIA / Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) stretching, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Agustin Esmoris / Two-banded Plover (Charadrius falklandicus), Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) biologist, Karine Tokatlian, collecting oystershells to spread in salt pond, which snowy plovers can use for camouflage, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City,...

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) biologists, Karine Tokatlian and Ben Pearl, collecting oystershells to spread in salt pond, which snowy plovers can use for camouflage, Eden Landing Ecological Reserv...

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) biologist, Ben Pearl, spreading oystershells in salt pond, which snowy plovers can use for camouflage, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City, Bay Area, Californ...

Glenn Bartley/ BIA / Rufous-chested Plover (Charadrius modestus), Falkland Islands

Glenn Bartley/ BIA / Rufous-chested Plover (Charadrius modestus), Falkland Islands

Aurelien Audevard/ BIA / Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) parent with chick, France

Steve Gettle / Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus), northern Michigan

Steve Gettle / Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) preening, northern Michigan

Steve Gettle / Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus), northern Michigan

Christian Luebke/ BIA / Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) juvenile, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

Alan Murphy/ BIA / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) calling, Texas

Alan Murphy/ BIA / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus), Texas

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) nest in restored salt pond with shells laid by biologists to increase camouflage possibilities for adults, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City, Bay Area, Cali...

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) biologist, Karine Tokatlian, listening to chick pecking at inside of egg, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City, Bay Area, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) chicks in nest, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City, Bay Area, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) chicks in nest in restored salt pond, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City, Bay Area, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) biologist, Ben Pearl, banding chick, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City, Bay Area, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) biologist, Karine Tokatlian, banding chick, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City, Bay Area, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) biologist, Ben Pearl, warming chick by breathing on it during banding, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City, Bay Area, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) biologists, Karine Tokatlian and Ben Pearl, banding chicks, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City, Bay Area, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) biologist, Karine Tokatlian, holding banded chick, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City, Bay Area, California

Michael Milicia/ BIA / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) chick on beach, Massachusetts

Michael Milicia/ BIA / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), Massachusetts

Michael Milicia/ BIA / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), Massachusetts

Michael Milicia/ BIA / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) calling, Massachusetts

Rosl Roessner/ BIA / Eurasian Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus) male, Norway

Donald M. Jones / Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus), southern Alaska

Winfried Wisniewski / Eurasian Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus) male, Varanger Peninsula, Norway

Tim Zurowski / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus), California

Alan Murphy / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) male, Texas

Peter Waechtershaeuser / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) wading, Texas

Donald M. Jones / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) chick, western Montana

Eric Sohn Joo Tan / Oriental Plover (Charadrius veredus), Western Australia, Australia

Rob Drummond / Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus) male, South Australia, Australia

Alan Murphy / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus), Texas

Greg Oakley / Red-kneed Dotterel (Charadrius cinctus) wading, Victoria, Australia

Filippo Nucifora / Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) running over sand, Alaska

Filippo Nucifora / Mongolian Plover (Charadrius mongolus), Sri Lanka

Filippo Nucifora / Mongolian Plover (Charadrius mongolus), Sri Lanka

Mathias Schaef / Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) wading, Salalah, Oman

Mathias Schaef / Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), Spain

Mathias Schaef / Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii), Oman

Mathias Schaef / Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii), Oman

Mathias Schaef / Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii), Oman

Duncan Usher / Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) sheltering chicks hidden under her feathers, Bulgaria

Ralph Martin / Mongolian Plover (Charadrius mongolus), Oman

Ralph Martin / Mongolian Plover (Charadrius mongolus), Oman

David Williams / Mongolian Plover (Charadrius mongolus), Sri Lanka

Rob Drummond / Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus), Victoria, Australia

Bob Steele / Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), Thailand

Satyendra Sharma / Mongolian Plover (Charadrius mongolus), Tso Kar Lake, Ladakh, India

Rob Drummond / Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus), Victoria, Australia

Rob Drummond / Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus), Victoria, Australia

Ralph Martin / Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula), Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

Ingo Waschkies / Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), Andalucia, Spain

Robert Royse / Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia), Florida

Glenn Bartley / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) chick, Newfoundland, Canada

Robert Royse / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus), California

Robert Royse / Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) pulling a worm out of the mud, Ohio

Robert Royse / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) calling, Ohio