Plovers in peril: Careless beachgoers endanger vulnerable Queens birds

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A piping plover, an endangered species that nests along the Rockaway Peninsula, walks among people on the shoreline. Photo courtesy of Chris Allieri

A piping plover, an endangered species that nests along the Rockaway Peninsula, walks among people on the shoreline. Photo courtesy of Chris Allieri

By David Brand

Rockaway beach re-openings were great news for New Yorkers looking to beat the heat this summer. 

Less so for endangered birds that make their homes along the peninsula shoreline, says Wild Bird Fund Boardmember Chris Allieri, who documents some of the species that call the Rockaways home.

Rockaway beaches opened with lifeguards on July 1, but Allieri said the woeful barricades that the city Parks Department and the National Park Service set up near plover habitats do not do enough to protect the little endangered birds. He urges beachgoers to be mindful of the plovers and other local wildlife.

“For the next two months, the birds are in peril,” Allieri said in an email. “From Far Rockaway, through to Jacob Riis and Fort Tilden to Breezy Point Tip, many birds nest out on the open beach.”

“While there is some minimal roping off of protected areas in the dunes, there’s still many human-caused threats to these sensitive species,” he added. “Many people walk through these areas especially since enforcement is basically non existent.” 

A baby plover. Photo by Chris Allieri

A baby plover. Photo by Chris Allieri

Local birders, including members of the Audubon Society, have set out to warn beachgoers about the sandy habitats, writing chalk messages along the Rockaway Beach boardwalk and spreading the word on social media. 

The city has also initiated an online campaign to educate New Yorkers about their feathered neighbors.

“Due to human-related habitat loss, the piping plovers are here searching for a safe place to start a family of their own as they attempt to save their species from extinction,” the city’s Wildlife NYC website states.

The city outlines tips for protecting the plovers and other local birds from humans as well as predators like rats and cats.

Keep these guidelines in mind before you hit the beach:

  • Please share the beach. Fencing and signs are put up to protect vulnerable plover nests and chicks. Please respect these sensitive breeding areas and give them some space.

  • Help keep the beach clean. Food or garbage left out on the beach attracts piping plover predators such as rats, cats, and gulls.

  • Observe and enjoy piping plovers from a distance. Piping plovers are in NYC for breeding. Approaching plovers may cause incubating adults to leave their nests.

  • Keep kites at least 200 meters away from breeding plovers. Piping plovers may see kites as an aerial predator.

  • Keep dogs leashed, and away from piping plovers. Rockaway Beach rules prohibit dogs on the beach from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day.