Piping plover season has arrived — signaled for most residents by the sight of fencing and signs going up on local beaches.
The small, sand-colored bird that nests on dry, sandy beaches is listed as an endangered species in New York and protected under the Endangered Species Act. There are about 200 breeding pairs of piping plovers on Long Island, according to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation estimates.
The species was driven to near extinction around the turn of the 20th century by extensive hunting. After federal protection in 1918, the piping plover population rebounded by the middle of the century, but declined again due to coastal development, recreational activities and disturbance by off-road vehicles, according to the DEC.
The piping plover is the color of dry beach sand. It has orange legs. In spring and summer, it sports a single black neck band and a narrow black band across its forehead. In flight, the rump is white. The bill is yellowish with a black tip. The sexes appear similar in both size and plumage. A piping plover weighs just 1.5 to 2.25 ounces and is 5.5 inches long. Its call is a melodious, organ-like, two to four note whistle. Piping plovers are seen singly or in small flocks.
Nesting begins locally with the arrival of spring. The birds lay their eggs during May and June.
Each year, mating pairs are tracked and nest activity is recorded. Once the plovers lay their eggs, it will be about 28 days before they hatch, and another four weeks for the chicks to be fully fledged and able to fly.
Prior to fledging, they will run from the dunes to the shoreline and back, and due to their small size and color can easily be overlooked, requiring the surrounding area to be closed off to driving. This process can be prolonged when a nest fails (eggs don’t hatch, or nest is disturbed). When this occurs, plovers will often re-nest, and the process starts again.
The piping plovers usually leave our region by September. Pairs may return to the same nesting areas annually, according to the DEC.
Recovery plans developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service aim to help the plovers survive and the overall population of the bird to recover. State, county and local governments are required to locate nests, install fencing and signs and close portions of local beaches to protect the plovers. Beach maintenance activities are also restricted. For instance, if plovers are nesting in an area, local officials cannot remove the rack line around the hatching area. Beach nourishment activities are also restricted.
The Suffolk County Parks Department said this week it works hard to limit closures and maintain beach access to the best of its ability while complying with the federal recovery plan.
“Park visitors can help to limit length of closures by avoiding restricted areas, keeping pets leashed and following instruction from park staff and posted signs,” according to a county parks department press release.
Information about beach access restrictions and updates will be posted on the county parks department website, on its Facebook page on Twitter.
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