Caution: Plovers, Terns, Oystercatchers

Photo for Connecticut Audubon by Kevin M. Doyle

May 26, 2017 – You’ve been hearing from us lately about the substantial risks that Piping Plovers face, not just in Connecticut but on the beaches in the Bahamas where they spend the winter. “The Piping Plover,” Peter Marra, director of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, said recently, “is really just hanging on by a thread.”

We have news however about how they’re faring this nesting season. And we’re cautiously optimistic.

Listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act, Piping Plovers nest only on beaches, where they are vulnerable to high tides, predators, pets, and human disturbances. Only 63 pairs nested in Connecticut last year – and that was considered a good year.

Audubon Alliance
The Connecticut Audubon Society is working with its partners in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds – Audubon Connecticut and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute – to protect Piping Plovers on beaches from Greenwich to Stonington.

Read the rest here.