ABSTRACT
Breeding biology figures prominently in the management and conservation of plovers. Accordingly, we reviewed the literature for the 40 species of the Charadrius plover clade to compare the behavioral and physiological investments the plovers make to raise their young in different latitudinal regions. We focus on the incubation and chick care periods and briefly discuss other important aspects of breeding biology. Species laying the most common clutch size, three eggs, occur in all regions whereas, all but one species laying four-egg clutches breed in subarctic and north temperate regions; most species laying two-egg clutches breed wholly or partly in the tropics. Species breeding wholly or partly in tropical regions are smaller than those nesting wholly in temperate or subarctic regions, and their egg sizes are highly positively correlated with their body sizes. Thus, tropical species appear to make a smaller investment in eggs of each clutch than species in other regions. In temperate and tropical regions, breeding seasons are long, most species lay replacement clutches, and many also double-brood. In all regions, biparental egg and chick care are common, but when one sex provides more care than the other it is usually the male. Gaps in our knowledge of plover breeding biology are greatest for tropical and South American temperate breeding species. Understanding variability in elements of plover breeding biology will enhance conservation. We discuss the importance of breeding biology to conservation activities for plovers and identify directions for future research.
