Charadrius vociferus inhabits a wide range of open areas, including grasslands, mudflats, agricultural fields and shorelines. They are adaptable and can thrive in human-altered landscapes such as golf courses, parks, gravel roads and urban areas. Breeding sites need to be almost bare, usually with a clear view and are often on gravelly substrate. However many breed in agricultural fields: almost all observations in a study estimating the size of the breeding population in the Eastern Rainwater Basin in Nebraska came from agricultural fields, with a preference for fields that were planted with soybeans the previous year (Jorgensen et al. 2009).

Migratory in the north of its range where breeds from Alaska, south through Canada and the northern tier of states, United States of America, wintering south throughout Central America, Colombia, and Venezuela, and along west coast of South America to Peru and Chile; southern populations resident (Jackson and Jackson 2020). However, there is increasing evidence the species is at least an occasional breeder in Central America and Colombia (van Dort 2019, Castro-Vargas et al. 2021, Sequeda-Zuleta et al. 2021).

Conservation Actions Underway
No targeted actions known, however protected by the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Continue to monitor population trends. Investigate threats. Protect and manage key habitat.