Maine Piping Plovers have done it again by shattering past record numbers, reaching 191 breeding pairs that fledged 352 chicks. Last year was our prior record of breeding pairs with 174 and the most chicks ever fledged was 252 in 2022 so yes, that’s 100 more! Plover productivity was 1.84 chicks fledged per pair which is higher than the recovery goal of 1.5.
How do these numbers compare with past years? Just 10 years ago, the population was bouncing back from a multi-year decline, finally getting back to 66 breeding pairs in the state. Since then numbers have trended upward with this year topping the charts and nearly tripling the 66 pairs back in 2016.
Along with the steady increase in breeding pairs we have seen plovers starting to expand to other nesting sites in the state. A brand new site, Short Sands Beach in York, was added to the list this season when a pair chose to nest in a sand volleyball court adjacent to the beach. The man-made court was in what historically would have been a back dune and mimicked beach features such as sparse vegetation near the beach that made this a desirable site for one pair of plovers that fledged two chicks (read more about the Short Sands plovers here). Another pair nested along the riverside (interior) of Drakes Island and also fledged two chicks.
Speaking of record numbers, Seawall beat the record for the most breeding pairs on a single beach at 25 pairs. Once again, Wells Beach broke a record by fledging the most chicks ever from one beach with 57. Three beaches in the state hosted 20 or more nesting pairs of plovers with six beaches fledging 28 or more chicks! In spite of astounding success overall and at many locations, some sites saw plovers struggle. Plovers on many beaches experienced high predation rates this season as well as disturbance from beach goers and dog walkers, which plays a part in low hatch and fledge success.
How can you help to protect the plovers during the breeding season?
• The simplest thing you can do is to be aware of your surroundings. If you hear a plover peeping loudly or doing a broken wing display, you are too close to their nest or chicks and need to back away.
• Follow local dog ordinances, or better yet, enjoy other parts of Maine with your pets.
• Taking your trash off the beach with you helps reduce predators which also eat plover eggs and chicks.
• Get involved and volunteer at your local beach to help educate beachgoers about the plovers.
This season’s success is thanks to many people who care about the plovers including volunteers, state and federal partners, municipal staff, and landowners. It’s encouraging to see Piping Plovers doing so well in Maine over the last decade but that is not the case along the rest of the Atlantic coast. The southern recovery unit and Canada continue to see low numbers of plovers which makes Maine’s success even more important in contributing to the overall population.
