Sharing the Shore with Piping Plovers in Ontario

By Sydney Shepherd, Ontario Piping Plover Conservation Technician, Birds Canada
Piping Plover are a small, sandy coloured shorebird that is listed as endangered both federally and provincially. After a 30-year absence, Piping Plover returned to the shores of Ontario in 2007.

As invertebrate-eating carnivores and habitat specialists, they are considered an indicator species. Their presence (or absence) sends us signals about the health of their habitats. So, where you see Piping Plover, you know you’re on a healthy beach.

Figure 1: Flash (pictured above), is a four-year-old Piping Plover that has nested in Ontario since 2019. Photo: Sydney Shepherd.

Piping Plover are also an umbrella species. This mean that by protecting them and their habitat, other species also gain benefit from this protection.

Piping Plover rely on open beach habitats with an established or successional dune network. Dunes support a large variety of unique species and are rich in biodiversity! Not only do they host a plethora of species, but dunes also provide humans with incredibly important ecosystem services like erosion control, flood control, and maintaining beaches for recreation and enjoyment. So, with the habitat protection afforded to Piping Plover under the Endangered Species Act, we all benefit!

Figure 2: Other species also benefit from the protection of Piping Plover habitat. This photo taken at a Piping Plover nesting site in 2021 features four shorebird species, including the Endangered Red Knot. Photo: Sydney Shepard.

How can you help Piping Plover and support beach biodiversity?

Piping Plover nest  on some of Ontario’s most visited beaches like Wasaga Beach! The most important thing we can do to help Piping Plover reach success each nesting season is by learning how to share the shore.

Piping Plover nesting areas will be fenced off once eggs are found. In these areas, it’s important to respect signage, keep domestic pets off the beach and play games like volleyball, frisbee or other beach sports further away from the fencing. Piping Plover adults need this space to incubate their eggs without disruption. If adults are flushed off the nest, their eggs are left vulnerable to predators. Piping Plover chicks are also flightless for the first three weeks of their life. The fenced of nesting area provides them  with a safe space to retreat on busy beach days. Chicks feeding without disruption has been shown to aid in their speedy growth and ultimately leads to a greater probability of survival and migration.

Figure 3: Piping Plover chicks are precocial, meaning they are up on their feet feeding themselves shortly adter hatching. They are flightless for the first three weeks and need space to grow and forage. Photo: Hannah Stockford.

Sharing the shore also means ensuring we keep our beaches clean! After a beach day, make sure to take all our garbage with you. And while you’re enjoying a tasty beach snack, don’t forget to keep that all to yourself! Feeding the wildlife is not only detrimental to their health, but also draws in extra predators which can be a large threat to Piping Plover populations.

Figure 4: Gulls, often found in high numbers on Ontario's beaches, are considered a large threat, especially to Piping Plover eggs and chicks. Photo: Hannah Stockford.

And, if you live near one of Ontario’s Piping Plover nesting beaches, consider becoming a volunteer! Volunteers are our eyes and ears on the beach. They collect valuable data and population metrics, as well as provide boots-on-the-ground outreach to Ontario’s  beachgoers. Our volunteers are a vital component of the conservation initiative and truly make a large difference in Piping  Plover nesting success each year. If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer, please sign up here.

For more information on the Ontario Piping Plover Conservation Program, you can follow us @OntarioPlovers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. To report a siting of a Piping Plover, email ontarioplovers@birdscanada.org.