The number of piping plovers may not be plummeting.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported a slight rise in 2001 with 32 new nesting areas spotted in the Great Lakes area.
Last year only 30 nesting pairs were counted.
Jack Dingledine, Great Lakes regional piping plover coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said the bird can be found only in the northernmost counties of the state in the lower peninsula and in the eastern counties of the upper peninsula.
“They are currently listed as endangered, the primary threats are events that occur in the coastline,” he said.
The animals are small, pale colored shorebirds. The light colored plumage allows the bird to blend in with sandy beaches and shorelines.
But it can also be a problem.
Disturbances can destroy chances for mating or their young surviving.
“They are sensitive to humans during their breeding period and natural predation is a problem for the species as well,” Dingledine said.
But the service has set aside areas of coastline that are considered suitable areas for the birds to reside.
“The primary cause for their decline is attributed to loss of habitat,” he said.
Lake Michigan’s South Fox Island has 47 acres designated as critical plover habitat. The island however is currently under a proposed land trade between the island’s owners that would consolidate the land of MSU alumnus and developer David Johnson.
The trade would leave the state with 1,264 acres, causing the length of the state-owned shoreline to decrease by 5,585 feet.
Dingledine said there are no recent records of the bird living on the island but historical data show that the area is perfect for nesting.
“Based on historical occurrence and habitat that the birds will hopefully need that habitat when their numbers increase,” he said.
Dr. Jim Sikarskie, a wildlife veterinarian at the MSU Small Animal Clinic, said even big windstorms along lake shores can be deadly for the plovers.
“Their eggs are really tiny and they make a nest right on the ground among some rocks,” he said.
But because the birds are migratory, there are concerns of keeping the numbers up once the plovers begin flying south.
Joe Johnson, chief wildlife biologist at the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, said the plovers will travel as far as South America.
“There is always a danger but they seem to do it pretty doggone good,” he said.
The plover is known for its rarity all over the country and is a target for predators such as raccoons and seagulls as well as human interference.
Johnson said there are areas of coastline protected by fences and signs for the birds to nest free from disturbances.
“If we know and we care those are two things that are important,” he said.
