Fans of endangered piping plovers plead for protection during breeding season - Action News
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PEI

Fans of endangered piping plovers plead for protection during breeding season

Warning signs are popping up at Prince Edward Island beaches as endangered piping plovers begin to nest and breed. Protectors of the plovers say their numbers continue to decline, and they need as much safe space as they can get this spring and summer.

11 breeding pairs seen in national park last year; 22 chicks hatched and 17 fledged

Two tiny birds on a beach with a wave rolling in the background
These are two of the piping plovers that have already returned to the P.E.I. National Park in 2024. (Submitted by Parks Canada)

Signs are now posted marking the first temporary beach closures of the season as endangered piping plovers return to Prince Edward Island for another nesting season.

But a species at risk expert who has been advocating for the tiny beach birds for 20 years says more must be done to give themthe room they need to grow their numbers.

The Committee on the Status of Wildlife in Canadahas listed the piping plover as endangered since 1985.

Shannon Mader said there are about 20 breeding pairs in relatively unprotected areas outside the national park borders, down from about 60 when she first started her job two decades ago.

A woman with binoculars on a beach
Shannon Mader, a species at risk manager with Island Nature Trust, says there are about 20 breeding pairs outside the national park, down from about 60 when she started her job two decades ago. (Shane Hennessey/CBC)

"We're always hoping to see a lot of plover come back. We're hoping to see numbers increase, but of course that hasn't been the trend in recent years," said Mader, manager of species at risk programs at Island Nature Trust.

"It has been a steady downward trend in terms of the population during that time just as it's been, sadly, a steady downward trend for most of our bird species.

Two tiny white and brown birds on a beach
The Committee on the Status of Wildlife in Canadahas listed the piping plover, shown here in closeup, as endangered since 1985. (Submitted by Parks Canada)

"What we're really hoping to see is people adjusting their behaviour, to make space for piping plover and other shore birds," Mader said.

"[We're] still seeing a lot of people with loose dogs running on beaches.We would like to see people not driving their ATVs on beaches, and generally just respecting signage in any natural area."

Changing attitudes

Mader said the piping plover population is rebounding in other parts of North America, including Nova Scotia.

A tiny white bird standing on the beach
Because piping plovers and their nests are so small, it would be very easy for beach strollers to do serious damage. (Submitted by Parks Canada)

She said plover protectors on P.E.I. are taking all of the same measures, but are still waiting to see the numbers turn around. There is some reason to be hopeful, though.

"I think we are seeing a change in terms of public perception. Generally we're all a lot more aware of native wildlife,the need for us to care for the environment in general," Mader said.

"I certainly hope that trend keeps moving in the right direction."

A woman wearing a green Parks Canada uniform and binoculars stands on a beach.
Lily McLaine is a resource management officer for Parks Canada in P.E.I. National Park, where warning signs have started to appear for the season near piping plover breeding grounds. This one is on Shaw's Beach. (Shane Hennessey/CBC)

Madersaid she feels a personal connection to the fate of the piping plovers.

"They're a pretty hard species not to love," she said."If you take some time to just watch them, and watch how they interact with one another, and how they raise their young, they're a pretty special bird."

Beaches closed

There are currently two temporary closures of beaches in the P.E.I. National Park on the Island's North Shore: Cavendish Sandspit was closed as of April 18and Shaw's Beach, near Brackley, was restricted on April 26.

Lily McLaine, resource management officer for Parks Canada, said the Cavendish beach has been a historical nesting habitat for many years, so it was closed even before the birds arrived for the season.

P.E.I. spring brings annual warnings aimed at protecting plovers

5 months ago
Duration 2:27
Breeding season is underway on Island beaches for a fragile endangered species. For humans, that means shore closures and cautions from wildlife personnel.

"In order to give these migratory birds a bird-friendly welcome back to the park, one of our monitoring projects is to close down these sections of the beaches temporarily throughout their spring migratory season to give them a nice open space for them to feel protected and recover after a long journey up to P.E.I.," McLaine said.

Some of these breeding behaviours may include piping plovers making scrapes, which are essentially dents in the sand that can be used later for nesting.Goose-stepping is kind of like what it lookslike.Lily McLaine, Parks Canada

McLaine said pairs have been seen in the area already this season, and breeding actions have been observed.

"Some of these breeding behaviours may include piping plovers making scrapes, which are essentially dents in the sand that can be used later for nesting.

"Goose-stepping is kind of like what it lookslike," McLaine said."They will march to one another, specifically the males that are trying to attract the female piping plovers.So it's a really cool behaviour to see."

A small grey and white bird on a beach with water in the background
In 2022, Parks Canada and Island Nature Trust tracked 51 adult birds, along with a few nests and chicks. The year before, they counted 69 piping plovers. (Submitted by Parks Canada)

McLaine said it typically takes two to six days for a female to lay all four of the pair's eggs for the year, and about 26 days for incubation.

She said upon hatching, it takes about 20to 25days for the new chicks to fully fledge, becomingjuvenile ploversable to make their journey back south for the winter.

"We have about sevenpiping plovers that have been reported along this beach, and we expect to see more as the season progresses," McLaine said."So it'll be very exciting to see how this season plays out."

Signs posted across a beach
Piping plover closure signs were posted on Shaw's Beach in P.E.I. National Park on April 26, after staff observed some breeding and nesting behaviours. (Shane Hennessey/CBC)

McLaine said the target inthe P.E.I.National Park is to have upwards of 15 breeding pairs in total, as well asa fledging rate of 1.65 chicks per nest.

That would bethe number of pairs that have been reported and monitored at length by staff throughout the park, with the rate representing the proportion of successfulfledglings and juveniles each year.