Piping plover numbers are still declining—the perils for wildlife of living alongside humans

As a fish biologist, slowly worming my way through the sand trying to photograph a bird about the size of my favourite coffee mug is an odd feeling. Eventually, I catch sight of my target: a family of piping plovers.

Scurrying along the sand chasing beetles, the plovers are nearly impossible to track through my telephoto lens. Soon though, they stop briefly to preen.

Then I see it: I see why people find these little birds so worthy of their affection. I silently admit to myself that they’re far cuter than any fish I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen a lot). The chicks—with their fluffy down, stubby little wings, and oversized, lanky yellow legs—are heart-meltingly adorable. The parents look dapper and refined with their sharp black collars, bicoloured beaks, and soft grey plumage. My eye is drawn to the male, who is particularly handsome. I watch this family of plovers for over an hour, completely enchanted by their behaviour.

 

Plover basics

Piping plovers, one of about 350 shorebird species, are divided into two distinct subspecies: one inhabiting areas around the Great Lakes and Great Plains and another along the eastern seaboard of North America. In Atlantic Canada, piping plovers can be found in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Quebec’s Magdalen Islands.

Adults are about the length of a modern smartphone and feed predominantly on bugs and worms. Despite their diminutive size, they are capable of migrating 3,000 kilometres or more to access overwintering habitats.

Starting in 2014, biologists in eastern Canada began a banding program to determine migration patterns and overwintering locations. “Up until 2011, we knew they were overwintering in the southern US,” states Jen Rock, a wildlife biologist for the Canadian Wildlife Service, “but it would appear that half of the (banded) birds that have been re-sighted are being reported in the Caribbean.” Rock also reports that the birds are remarkably faithful to overwintering grounds, returning to these areas year after year.

By April or May, mature adults have completed their migrations north to breeding grounds in Atlantic Canada. Males dig the nests, which are small depressions in the sand built above the high tide mark. To attract a mate, males then break out their dancing shoes and, standing tall and rigid, stomp their feet in place, a practice called “goose stepping.” Females usually lay a clutch of four, well camouflaged eggs, and the young hatch in about four weeks. Once hatched, the juveniles are immediately able to run and forage on their own. Migrations south usually occur between late July and early September.

Shannon Mader (Island Nature Trust) uses a spotting scope to unobtrusively observe a family of plovers.

 

Protecting breeding birds and their habitat

The primary threats to piping plovers include predation, human disturbance, and the loss or outright destruction of breeding habitat. Predators of piping plovers include crows, ravens and other birds of prey as well as mammals such as feral cats and foxes.

Even something as seemingly benign as discarding tasty lobster bits on the beach can be a problem. That same lobster you found so delicious is also delectable to foxes, crows, and feral cats, all of which are opportunistic predators. That means if they stumble on a plover nest on the way to a bit of lobster tail meat, there’s a good chance those plover eggs are goners.

Sue Abbott, the Nova Scotia program manager for Bird Studies Canada, says people are encouraged to manage waste appropriately around beaches. “We have a responsibility to keep our beaches healthy and safe (for piping plovers).”

Even when people leave only footprints at the beach, predators can still be a problem. To combat this issue, exclosures (wire fencing that surrounds and covers an active nest) were once a relatively common management tool. However, biologists discovered that while the predator exclosures did facilitate hatching success, predation of adults was either still occurring, or nesting adults were abandoning their nests following exclosure placement. The decision was eventually made to end the use of predator exclosures as a management tool, primarily for two reasons: the loss of adults is far costlier to the long-term sustainability of plover populations and adult plovers are known to re-nest even if a nest is destroyed.

In addition to direct mortality of eggs or adults, cumulative stress related to human disturbance can be especially difficult for plovers. Disastrously, the same beaches plovers choose for nesting, are also prime for outdoor recreation. “Our use of their habitat—the area of the beach that we want for recreation—overlaps with their breeding habitat. We’re in major competition for those coastal habitats,” says Shannon Mader, program co-ordinator for Prince Edward Island’s Island Nature Trust.

In less densely populated locales, such as northern New Brunswick or Newfoundland, all-terrain vehicle (ATV) use is a constant challenge, explains Russell Wall of Intervale Associates in Newfoundland. Wall further elaborated with stories of ATV tracks leading directly to crushed eggs. Enforcement is lacking and catching illegal ATV use in-the-act is difficult. Conservationists target high school students with education and outreach activities in the hopes that younger generations will change their behaviour.

In more densely populated areas, dogs walked off-leash are one of the biggest challenges to plover conservation, asserts both Mader and Abbott. An excited lab barrelling down the beach, even if it isn’t deliberately chasing plovers, can be a tremendous disturbance to nesting adults or foraging chicks.

Kim Gamble, resource management officer for the Prince Edward Island (PEI) National Park, also echoes statements made by Mader and Abbott, but notes that even dogs on-leash can be disruptive. To that end, the PEI National Park implements a domestic animal ban on all National Park beaches during the piping plover breeding season (and beyond to protect other shorebirds). “We want to provide them with an area where they have the best success possible,” Gamble states.

It is important for people to understand that the issues associated with human disturbance are often cumulative. A dog walked off-leash or a couple out for a romantic stroll may not, by themselves, kill a plover chick, but the stress of repeatedly encountering those situations could be that chick’s downfall. Studies have shown that on beaches with high rates of human activity, parents spend less time incubating eggs, which can lead to reduced hatching success. In addition, chicks spend less time foraging and may not be able to accumulate enough energy to survive their southward migration.

 
Mock plover eggs placed into a previously ransacked nest show the cryptic colouration and positioning characteristic of this species.

Population trends

In Canada, both subspecies are classified as Endangered under the Species at Risk Act, a designation they’ve held since 2001. For the piping plovers found in Atlantic Canada, a more than 30 per cent decline in the number of breeding adults has been observed since 2007, when the short-term recovery goal of 255 breeding pairs was last met.

“Region-wide, we had less than 200 breeding pairs in 2017,” explains Abbott. This is more than 100 fewer than the long-term conservation target of 310 pairs.

Yet, despite these declines in mature adults, fledgling rates are higher than other areas. “Generally speaking, in eastern Canada, the productivity levels are relatively high compared to neighbouring populations,” says Rock. Yet, despite our region’s chick production, biologists continue to observe a population decline.

This poses a conundrum for conservationists in the region: If nesting success is at least stable, then why are we continuing to see declines in breeding pairs? “One of the biggest issues for us is juvenile survival during the non-breeding season. It seems like we are producing lots of chicks, but what’s happening to them?” asks Rock.

This, scientists believe, is the $64,000 question.

 
Human disturbance is one of the most significant threats to the breeding habitat of Atlantic Canadian piping plovers.

Humans and plovers—intimately linked

To paraphrase a tenant of wildlife management, managing wildlife is as much about managing people as it is about managing wildlife. When humans have such a substantial impact on a species, the long-term sustainability of that species’ population may necessitate a change in human behaviour.

But, of course, changing human behaviour is easier said than done, and laws don’t always work.

“Legislation can only go so far,” Abbott says. When legislation fails or is otherwise ineffective, conservationists turn to outreach campaigns. For example, the piping plover conservation community began a “Walk on the Wet Sand” campaign in 2012 to encourage people to walk the beach, but at a safe distance from nesting plovers. Biologists also routinely give educational seminars about piping plovers to the public and also interact with beach-goers whenever possible.

So-called “guardian programs” or “guardian walks” recruit volunteers to patrol beaches, monitor nests, and educate other members of the public about the consequences of human disturbance on nesting plovers. These volunteers serve as extensions of the biologists already employed to protect the species.

Lois Kilburn, a long-time plover guardian and volunteer with PEI’s Island Nature Trust says the role of volunteers is to, “Preserve, protect and educate.” She emphasizes that, “More than anything our role is to educate and inform the public about (the plovers).”

Building relationships with landowners is also extremely important to assist with protection efforts. Many are receptive of working with local biologists, and take pride in having plovers nest on beaches their properties adjoin.

For example, the owners and staff of White Point Beach Resort on Nova Scotia’s South Shore have enjoyed annual visits from nesting plovers since 2012. Donna Hatt, the resort’s marketing manager says, “It gives us an opportunity to help our guests gain a more intimate appreciation for our living shoreline, the importance of sharing our shorelines here in Nova Scotia and helps them to realize just how interconnected we are with the rest of the world through these migration pathways.”

 

How can you help?

One of the most important things the public can do to protect piping plovers, according to Abbott, is to remember this simple phrase: “Share the beach.” That means remembering that there are other non-human creatures that require safe and healthy beaches to live. Packing trash out whenever possible to avoid attracting predators, keeping dogs on-leash, walking on wet sand whenever possible, and staying out of fenced off areas all things you should keep in mind the next time you plan to visit a beach during the plover breeding season.

Property developers and landowners should also keep beaches natural. In other words, avoid adding structures to keep sands from shifting.

Essentially, “Follow the signage,” says Wall. Such a simple thing can have a long-term benefit for the plovers.

Lastly, try to get involved. Nearly every person interviewed for this article reiterated that volunteering is very important. This could mean helping with plover surveys or something as simple as picking up trash on the beach.

Reporting banded plovers is particularly important for biologists so they can improve their understanding of the birds’ movement patterns. Take note of any banded birds you may spot this spring. Sightings can be reported to Cheri Gratto-Trevor (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), a research scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Mader believes that one responsibility volunteers have is to educate other members of the public. Gamble agrees, “Sharing these messages with friends and family is such an easy thing to do and will have positive impacts on reducing threats (to plovers). Education is such a key component, and being informed on the ways you can help piping plovers is key to the success that we have in this region.”

“The piping plover has been the poster child for conservation for the past 20 years in Atlantic Canada,” says Wall. But they also provide a cautionary tale of what can happen if we humans neglect our coastal ecosystems. Ultimately, it is our responsibility to be informed about the creatures and ecosystems in this region we call home, and to act appropriately in order to protect them.

Be it because of their will to survive, humorous courtship rituals, tenacity as parents, or impossibly awkward yet completely adorable babies, there’s good reason so many people find these little birds endearing—but they urgently need our help.