. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service remains hard at work to fulfill our mission, which is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. One important part of our mission is conserving endangered and threatened species such as the piping plover (Charadrius melodus).
How You Can Help the Piping Plover
If you’re stuck at home, visiting beaches can help ease that cabin fever! But please remember that shorebirds need the beach, too. Piping plovers are migrating north to find safe shores – including many New Jersey beaches – to raise families, feed, and rest. Here we provide information to help New Jerseyans carry on the conservation of the piping plover at a time when some of the normal protective measures – like stationing educational stewards on the beach – must be modified.
Plovers have always practiced social distancing – from people and pets, that is. Please follow local rules and signage for beach access, and abide by government mandates and recommended practices for hygiene and maintaining distance from others. By following some specific steps, we can enjoy the beach and share it with piping plovers and their chicks:
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Please walk close to the water on the lower beach, so travel-weary birds can rest and nest on the upper beach. Usually signs or people will alert you to these areas, but due to the COVID-19 response, many normal posting and fencing efforts are delayed or scaled back.
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Birdwatching can be a great way to pass the time and maintain wellness. Keep your distance so the birds feel safe.
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If pets are permitted on beaches, keep them leashed and away from birds. Note that many New Jersey beaches have pet restrictions – please abide by local rules and signs.
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Remove trash and food scraps, which attract animals that might eat piping plovers and their eggs or chicks.
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Do not feed animals on or near the beach. Keep your cats indoors.
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Follow all other guidance on signs, and respect all areas fenced or posted for protection of wildlife. Besides plovers, your actions will also benefit many other kinds of shorebirds, terns, American oystercatchers, and black skimmers, as well as native beach plants that help prevent erosion.
Why Does It Matter?
Everyday activities on the beach can unintentionally harm piping plovers. Years of research confirm that when people or pets disturb plovers and other shorebirds, the birds are stressed, unable to feed, rest or raise families, and in some cases, die.
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Nests, and even piping plovers, are really hard to see. Eggs can be accidentally stepped on.
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When you get too close to birds, they fly away and cannot rest or feed. Imagine if you were hungry and tired, and forces beyond your control kept you away from food all day, and no place felt safe to rest.
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Even well-behaved dogs scare piping plovers. No matter the age or size, all dogs cause shorebirds to panic. Dogs can cause piping plovers to abandon their nests, stop feeding, and waste precious time and energy to distract dogs from chicks and eggs. Your dog might not chase birds, but it might step on an egg or a tiny chick by accident.
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Beaches are ‘Home Sweet Home’ for wildlife that need your support. They provide critical, dependable space for shorebirds raising families or migrating from one beach to another.
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The piping plover is making a comeback in the U.S.! Help make sure this shorebird is around for future generations. Decades of efforts by landowners, organizations, and government agencies are paying off. Progress has been made, but our work is not done. You can help the piping plover population reach full recovery!
