TRAVERSE CITY, MI – It was a record year for Great Lakes piping plovers, in more ways than one.
Scientists across the Great Lakes who monitor the endangered shorebird as they nest and raise their young counted at least 80 unique adult pairs of piping plovers – the most since the birds were listed as endangered in 1985. In fact, the total number of unique nesting pairs may increase to 82 if scientists decide to count those at Bay City State Park and on the tiny Gull Island, which is north of Green Bay just inside Michigan waters off the Upper Peninsula’s Garden Peninsula coast.
This season also produced the greatest number of plover chicks that successfully fledged collectively among those reared in captivity and those hatched in the wilderness. There were 167 chicks that fledged, a new record.
“We were feeling a little bit nervous about our wild fledgling count because it looked like we were losing a lot of chicks and we lost quite a few adults this year. But then we actually ended up doing pretty well. So yeah, we’re very pleased,” said Stephanie Schubel, the top plover bander on the University of Minnesota team.
Schubel also compiles piping plover data gathered by scientists across the Great Lakes. “Every plover counts,” she said.
A record 44 piping plover chicks hatched in captivity at the University of Michigan Biological Station in Pellston, and 39 of those successfully fledged and were released into the wild. That ties the 2020 record for captive-reared piping plover chicks.
Additionally, there was a record number of plovers that nested on High Island in the Beaver Island archipelago, as well as a record number of plovers that nested at Cathead Bay in Leelanau State Park near Northport.
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“There was definitely some shifting around where the birds were,” said Bill Parsons, biologist with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa who monitors piping plovers on High Island.
“It was interesting just to see how it seems like they’re being more distributed across the landscape instead of all at Sleeping Bear Dunes. I think it is a good thing, you know, instead of having all your eggs in one basket, so to speak.”
Several old piping plover nesting sites were reestablished this year, including those in Cross Village, Gulliver, Tawas Point State Park, and on Temperance Island near the Straits of Mackinac.
“This summer’s nesting success statistics are good news and hopefully portend even more success ahead in the recovery of this important shorebird species,” said John Pepin, of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
“Piping plovers are challenged by a range of potentially detrimental factors ranging from fluctuating Great Lakes water levels to egg and chick nest predators. Despite these factors, the dedication and work of many researchers, observers, survey takers and others are making this good news possible.”
Pepin said hopefully one day Great Lakes piping plover populations will recover like the Kirtland’s warbler, peregrine falcon and bald eagle.
At this point in the season, the few remaining wild and captive-reared piping plover chicks that had remained in the Great Lakes are now on their migration south to their wintering grounds.
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