Endangered Piping Plovers Enduring Worst Summer in Nearly 20 Years

Very important for humans to share Maine beaches with these vulnerable birds

FALMOUTH, Maine, June 30, 2008—As the summer rush of beachgoers begins, the state-endangered and federally threatened piping plover is already having an especially tough year reproducing on Maine’s sandy beaches.

Biologists say only 19 piping plover pairs currently are nesting on southern and midcoast Maine beaches—down from 35 pairs last year and a high of 66 in 2002.

“The situation is severe,” said Judy Camuso, assistant regional wildlife biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. “The numbers are the worst we’ve seen since 1991.”

“Several compounding issues are probably behind the low number of nesting piping plovers,” said Jordan Kramer, a Maine Audubon seasonal biologist working on Maine’s Piping Plover and Least Tern Recovery Project. He identified three.

First, a series of damaging spring storms plagued piping plover habitat last year, which could have deterred birds from returning to the same sites in Maine this season. “If the birds don’t successfully fledge their young one year, they are less likely to come back the next,” said Kramer.

Second, Kramer said after several years of declining numbers of young, there could also simply be fewer birds to return to Maine.

Third, predators—including foxes and dogs—have forced several piping plover pairs to abandon their nests this season.

“If the adults can’t successfully hatch birds at this point, the young won’t be old enough to migrate at the end of the season,” said Angie Chessey, Maine Audubon seasonal biologist. “The next weeks are critical.” Chicks spend a month in the egg, and another month walking the beaches to feed themselves on bugs and larva before they can fly—making June through August a very sensitive time for their survival.

This crucial point in the season coincides with the beaches’ busiest time for people—making it especially important for us to pay attention and respect the birds’ needs.

Beachgoers can help plovers if they:

·      Keep dogs on a leash and well away from plover nests—perceiving even leashed dogs as a threat, adult piping plovers will try to draw dogs away from the nest, leaving eggs vulnerable to predators and the elements;

·      Fly kites far from nests—plovers perceive them as predatory birds;

·      Fill in holes in the sand—chicks can be trapped and die even in shallow holes;

·      Pick up your trash—garbage draws predators like seagulls and crows; and

·      Give piping plovers space—if you see a marked nest, please find another spot to put your beach blanket.

People can also help out by volunteering to monitor piping plovers. E-mail plovertern@maineaudubon.org to find out more.

Piping plovers currently are nesting on nine beaches: Wells Beach in Wells, Crescent Surf and Parsons beaches in Kennebunk, Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunkport, Goosefare Brook Beach in Saco, Ferry Beach and Western Beach in Scarborough, Ram Island in Cape Elizabeth, and Reid State Park in Georgetown.

“Piping plovers really fill a unique niche,” Kramer said of why the bird needs protecting. “While few birds can live all their lives on beaches, they have adapted to that dynamic environment of extremes. But they need our help to cope with our presence.”

“Our last hope is the protection these birds receive under the Endangered Species Act,” said Chessey. “It’s not too late, but people have to be aware of the impact they have.”

For over 25 years, a coalition of groups—starting with Maine Audubon and now including the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, and municipalities—has worked with local residents, landowners, and beachgoers to protect endangered piping plovers and least terns and increase their populations.

For more information and weekly updates on Maine’s Piping Plover and Least Tern Recovery Project, visit www.maineaudubon.org.

MAINE AUDUBON works to conserve Maine’s wildlife and wildlife habitat by engaging people of all ages in education, conservation and action.