Pipers Piping... Once Again
Fall 2015
Wildlife officials recently reported that the Great Lakes piping plover is being observed in record numbers this year. Piping plovers are migratory state birds that have three distinct breeding populations in the Northern U.S. and Canada -the Great Plains, the Atlantic Coast, and the Great Lakes. They inhabit shorelines and beaches and will nest in depressions of sand with rocks, shells, or sticks. They can be easily disturbed by beachgoers, and unprotected nests are vulnerable to predators. An important part of management is to keep people and dogs off the nesting sites during key times. Volunteers often help with that task.
In 1983, there were only 13 breeding pairs of Great Lakes piping plovers in Michigan. This year, more than 158 chicks have been banded in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Canada. More than 58 nests have been found in Michigan alone, 43 in the northern Lower Peninsula, and 15 in the Upper Peninsula. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore had the highest occurrence of nests in the region.
As in the case of many other shorebirds, nesting habitat for piping plovers can differ from year-to-year as the Great Lakes' water levels fluctuate. Nesting piping plovers can also be affected by windstorms and other factors. Monitoring and management partners in the effort to conserve Great Lakes piping plovers include the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, University of Minnesota, Lake Superior State University, and many others.
Wildlife officials recently reported that the Great Lakes piping plover is being observed in record numbers this year. Piping plovers are migratory state birds that have three distinct breeding populations in the Northern U.S. and Canada -the Great Plains, the Atlantic Coast, and the Great Lakes. They inhabit shorelines and beaches and will nest in depressions of sand with rocks, shells, or sticks. They can be easily disturbed by beachgoers, and unprotected nests are vulnerable to predators. An important part of management is to keep people and dogs off the nesting sites during key times. Volunteers often help with that task.
In 1983, there were only 13 breeding pairs of Great Lakes piping plovers in Michigan. This year, more than 158 chicks have been banded in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Canada. More than 58 nests have been found in Michigan alone, 43 in the northern Lower Peninsula, and 15 in the Upper Peninsula. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore had the highest occurrence of nests in the region.
As in the case of many other shorebirds, nesting habitat for piping plovers can differ from year-to-year as the Great Lakes' water levels fluctuate. Nesting piping plovers can also be affected by windstorms and other factors. Monitoring and management partners in the effort to conserve Great Lakes piping plovers include the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, University of Minnesota, Lake Superior State University, and many others.