CPW Piping Plover Shapefile Download

Updated December, 2025 FORAGING AREA: An area generally associated with a nesting area and which provides a source of food for Piping Plovers. Appropriate habitat includes shallow water areas along exposed beach substrates associated with lakes, ponds, and beaches, and dry, barren sandbars along backwater river areas which provide abundant macroinvertebrate and insect populations. These areas fluctuate with changing water levels on large irrigation reservoirs. PRODUCTION AREA: An area that includes nesting habitat and contains one or more active or previously active and aggressively defended territories. This information was derived from Colorado Parks and Wildlife field personnel. Data was captured by digitizing through a SmartBoard Interactive Whiteboard using topographic maps and NAIP imagery at various scales (Cowardin, M., M. Flenner. March 2003. Maximizing Mapping Resources. GeoWorld 16(3):32-35). These data are updated on a four year rotation with one of the four Colorado Parks and Wildlife Regions updated each year. These data are not updated on a statewide level annually.