Piping Plover chicks by Brendan Toews.

In their latest report on the Piping Plover population at Sauble Beach, Ontario, Piping Plover guardians Kim and Brendan Toews have some exciting news to share.

This post, thankfully, is about two hatches! At Sauble Beach, Ontario, the first four Piping Plover chicks of the year hatched on 14 June and the second nest hatch occurred on 20 June. The adult plovers from the south nest were observed removing egg shells from inside the predator exclosure.

The young left their nest about two hours after hatching and were capable of running. They remained within about 200 meters of the nest, although they will not return after hatching. The tiny, downy chicks forage for food, but can not fly till they are about a month old. Piping Plovers are notorious wanderers. These pale-plumed birds with orange legs rarely stay put.  They work the beach feeding nonstop, gobbling up the abundant worms, fly larvae, beetles, crustaceans, mollusks, and other invertebrates. The chicks learn to feed themselves and eat smaller versions of adult food items.  Piping Plovers feed alternately running and pausing to search for prey.  When still, the Piping Plover blends extremely well with open, sandy beach habitats. It gets its name from its call notes, described as a “plaintive peep-lo” which are often heard, before the birds are seen. 

Giving space is important when small chicks are on the beach. Lingering close to plover families may distract the adults from protecting the chicks from predators like gulls, crows, birds of prey and foxes.  When disturbed or threatened, the young either freeze or combine short runs with freezing, and blend very effectively into their surroundings. The adults will feign injury to draw intruders away from the nest or young. First, unsustained flights should be observed at around 18 days, with chicks molting into first juvenile plumage by day 22.