Piping plover chicks have hatched in Hampton and Seabrook

CONCORD, N.H. – Help protect endangered piping plovers on the beaches this holiday weekend and beyond, as the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department reports there that four nests have hatched within the past two weeks and another two are expected to hatch over the Fourth of July weekend. Piping plovers are endangered in New Hampshire and threatened nationally. Their breeding habitat is fenced with yellow roping to indicate the birds' presence to beach-goers and to allow the mating pairs space to nest and raise their young.

"Our goal is to protect these rare birds during their breeding season and manage the beaches for both people and wildlife," said Brendan Clifford, a biologist with N.H. Fish and Game's Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program who oversees the piping plover protection effort. "Hatching is later than normal this year, which may make it difficult for the birds as beaches become more crowded."

Within just a few hours of hatching, piping plover chicks are able to walk and feed on their own. "The first few weeks after hatching are the most crucial, because the chicks are very small and hard to see, and extremely vulnerable to natural predators such as gulls, crows, foxes and domestic animals, including cats and dogs. Once the chicks are 25-30 days old, they can fly and escape from danger, and we can take down the fences and open up the whole beach for recreational use," explained Clifford.

Another threat is humans. The chicks are not restricted to the fenced-off areas around the dunes, and the adults will often move them up and down the beach to reach good feeding areas, often close to the tide line. "Many people never even see the birds as they walk by them, so it is very easy to unknowingly cause distress or even step on the chicks," said Clifford. Fish and Game plover monitors and volunteers regularly notify beachgoers where chicks are present to reduce disturbance and allow them to feed.

N.H. Fish and Game is working closely again this year with beach managers to coordinate beach raking and plover protection. Because plover chicks cannot fly and tend to squat when they feel threatened, vehicles on the beach are a major threat to their survival. Beach maintenance may occur in areas where chicks are not present, as long as it is coordinated in advance with N.H. Fish and Game.

Since protection efforts began in 1997 through 2014, 89 nesting pairs of plovers have fledged 115 chicks on New Hampshire's seacoast. New Hampshire's efforts are part of a region-wide protection program; overall, the Atlantic coast population of piping plovers continues to hold steady.

Protection of this endangered species is a cooperative effort of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the N.H. Fish and Game Department, N.H. Division of Parks and Recreation, the Town of Seabrook, the Town of Hampton, volunteers, local residents and beach visitors.

Beachgoers can make a big difference in whether or not piping plover chicks survive to fledgling age:

* Watch where you step - A plover chick's defense mechanism is to freeze when people get close, which makes it difficult to see. The chicks are about the size of a cottonball and light colored, so they blend in with the sand.

* Leash your dog - Free-running dogs can chase after the chicks and adult plovers. Hampton Beach State Park and the Town of Seabrook both have restrictions regarding dogs on beaches during the summer. People should check before bringing their dog on any public beach.

* Fill in holes - Holes in the sand are traps for the tiny chicks that can't fly. Filling in any holes on the beach helps the chicks move about and find the food they need to grow strong and be able to fly.

* Volunteer - Volunteers help monitor the plover chicks until they can fly. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact the N.H. Fish and Game Department Piping Plover Monitor at 603-419-9728.

For more information on piping plovers in New Hampshire, visit www.wildnh.com/nongame/project-plover.html.

The piping plover protection effort is coordinated by Fish and Game's Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, which works to protect 37 threatened and endangered species, as well as hundreds of other species statewide.

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CONTACT:
Brendan Clifford: (603) 271-0463
Piping Plover Monitor: (603) 419-9728