Piping Plover FAQs
Important numbers
BSBO Staff:
Kimberly Kaufman - 419-306-0340
Mark Shieldcastle - 419-898-4674
Jasmine Cupp - 419-707-1680
Ryan Jacob - 419-466-9961
Asher Gorbet - 505-301-2294
Natural Resources Officers: #ODNR (#6367)
Plovers
Q. The adults have not been seen for an hour. Should I be worried?
If the adults are not being seen prior to any nesting or young chicks, or after the chicks have fledged (or are nearly fledged), there is no reason to worry. They are known to not be seen for a period of time. They could be lying in the sand or in the grass where it is difficult to see them or they could be on the Lake Erie beach feeding along the water's edge.
If the adults are not being seen during the nesting phase, one of the BSBO staff members must be notified immediately via a phone call after 15 min of the nest being empty.
If the adults are not being seen while the chicks are still younger than about 3 weeks, the BSBO staff should be notified along with status updates provided to them periodically.
Chicks
Q. The chicks are lying down and have not moved in over an hour. Should I be concerned?
If the chicks are lying down in the shade on a hot day, they are most likely taking a nap and avoiding the heat. A chick that is ill will likely be crouched, not lying, will have both eyes closed, will be motionless, and will be behaving in a manner inconsistent with its siblings (not staying with the siblings, not following a parent, not looking for shade, etc.). In that case, contact a BSBO staff member. Photos are always helpful.
Dead animals
Q. There is a dead bird/animal at Maumee Bay, who do I notify? What should I do?
If the dead animal is outside the closed area, then please remove it by grabbing it with a plastic bag (as is done with dog poop) and wrapping the bag around the carcass, then deposit in a garbage can. If the carcass looks difficult to pick-up and is not in or near water, notify park staff at 419-836-7758.
Predators
Q. A Great Blue Heron (or Great Egret) has landed in the general area of the nest. What should I do?
Please record the time the heron arrived and duration of the stay, and whether the heron showed any noticeable interest in the nest. If the adults seem agitated please notify a BSBO staff member.
Q. A Great Blue Heron (or Great Egret) has landed in the vicinity of the chicks. What should I do?
Report on the response of the adult plovers and behavior of the heron.
Q. Gulls are in the area where the chicks are. What should I do?
Report on the number of gulls near the chicks and whether it appears that the chicks are not foraging due to gull presence. Gulls are a concern during the first 12 days after chicks hatch.
Q. A heron or gull is posing an immediate threat to chicks. What should I do?
Intervene in a way that separates the threat from the chicks (and adults) without spooking the chicks. When approaching a situation, move toward the threat rather than moving toward the Piping Plovers.
Killdeer
Q. Killdeer are harassing the adults before chicks have hatched. What should I do?
Killdeer and Plovers are both territorial when nesting, so disturbances can occur in the times before, during, and after nesting. The main issue Killdeer pose during the time of incubation is diverting Nellie and Nish from the nest in order to deal with them. If a Killdeer interaction occurs which brings Nellie and Nish off the nest for more that 15 minutes, contact BSBO staff.
Q. Killdeer are harassing Nellie and Nish along with their chicks. What should I do?
Since there are nesting Killdeer at Maumee Bay, we have to be vigilant about Plover vs Killdeer interactions when their territories and nesting seasons coincide. Killdeer are able to kill young plover chicks when defending their territory. If you see an interaction occur during the time the chicks are hatched, call BSBO staff immediately and if they cannot be reached contact Kimberly Kaufman (419-306-0340).
Dogs
Q. A dog is off-leash on the public beach? What should I do?
If no chicks have hatched yet, you can gently remind the dog owner that dogs should be on a leash and that there are endangered birds nesting on the beach.
If chicks are in the protected area and not yet venturing out, use the same approach as stated above, emphasizing that there are vulnerable chicks.
If the threat remains and requests to the owner have failed, report the situation to #ODNR (#6367).
Q. An off-leash dog has entered the protected area. What should I do?
If an off-leash dog (or a person with an on-leash dog) enters the protected area, advise them that the area is protected and they are not allowed in. If requests for them to exit fail, call #ODNR (#6367).
Garbage in the Protected Area
Q. There is garbage in the protected area. What should I do?
If you see a sizeable piece of garbage blowing around in the wind and it is not headed toward the nest, wait for it to blow out of the protected area (and then retrieve it).
Q. There is garbage which has blown onto the predator guard. What should I do?
If garbage is preventing the birds from returning to the nest (physically or by spooking them) quickly enter the area and remove the threat. If the birds do not return to the nest within 15 minutes of the garbage being removed, call Kimberly Kaufman at 419-306-0340.
Monitoring related
Q. I cannot make my shift on one of my scheduled dates. What should I do?
Call BSBO at 419-898-4070 or email us at [email protected].
Q. I cannot make my shift and there is no time for advanced notice, or I am running late to my shift. Who should I contact?
Call BSBO at 419-898-4070 or email us at [email protected].
BSBO Staff:
Kimberly Kaufman - 419-306-0340
Mark Shieldcastle - 419-898-4674
Jasmine Cupp - 419-707-1680
Ryan Jacob - 419-466-9961
Asher Gorbet - 505-301-2294
Natural Resources Officers: #ODNR (#6367)
Plovers
Q. The adults have not been seen for an hour. Should I be worried?
If the adults are not being seen prior to any nesting or young chicks, or after the chicks have fledged (or are nearly fledged), there is no reason to worry. They are known to not be seen for a period of time. They could be lying in the sand or in the grass where it is difficult to see them or they could be on the Lake Erie beach feeding along the water's edge.
If the adults are not being seen during the nesting phase, one of the BSBO staff members must be notified immediately via a phone call after 15 min of the nest being empty.
If the adults are not being seen while the chicks are still younger than about 3 weeks, the BSBO staff should be notified along with status updates provided to them periodically.
Chicks
Q. The chicks are lying down and have not moved in over an hour. Should I be concerned?
If the chicks are lying down in the shade on a hot day, they are most likely taking a nap and avoiding the heat. A chick that is ill will likely be crouched, not lying, will have both eyes closed, will be motionless, and will be behaving in a manner inconsistent with its siblings (not staying with the siblings, not following a parent, not looking for shade, etc.). In that case, contact a BSBO staff member. Photos are always helpful.
Dead animals
Q. There is a dead bird/animal at Maumee Bay, who do I notify? What should I do?
If the dead animal is outside the closed area, then please remove it by grabbing it with a plastic bag (as is done with dog poop) and wrapping the bag around the carcass, then deposit in a garbage can. If the carcass looks difficult to pick-up and is not in or near water, notify park staff at 419-836-7758.
Predators
Q. A Great Blue Heron (or Great Egret) has landed in the general area of the nest. What should I do?
Please record the time the heron arrived and duration of the stay, and whether the heron showed any noticeable interest in the nest. If the adults seem agitated please notify a BSBO staff member.
Q. A Great Blue Heron (or Great Egret) has landed in the vicinity of the chicks. What should I do?
Report on the response of the adult plovers and behavior of the heron.
Q. Gulls are in the area where the chicks are. What should I do?
Report on the number of gulls near the chicks and whether it appears that the chicks are not foraging due to gull presence. Gulls are a concern during the first 12 days after chicks hatch.
Q. A heron or gull is posing an immediate threat to chicks. What should I do?
Intervene in a way that separates the threat from the chicks (and adults) without spooking the chicks. When approaching a situation, move toward the threat rather than moving toward the Piping Plovers.
Killdeer
Q. Killdeer are harassing the adults before chicks have hatched. What should I do?
Killdeer and Plovers are both territorial when nesting, so disturbances can occur in the times before, during, and after nesting. The main issue Killdeer pose during the time of incubation is diverting Nellie and Nish from the nest in order to deal with them. If a Killdeer interaction occurs which brings Nellie and Nish off the nest for more that 15 minutes, contact BSBO staff.
Q. Killdeer are harassing Nellie and Nish along with their chicks. What should I do?
Since there are nesting Killdeer at Maumee Bay, we have to be vigilant about Plover vs Killdeer interactions when their territories and nesting seasons coincide. Killdeer are able to kill young plover chicks when defending their territory. If you see an interaction occur during the time the chicks are hatched, call BSBO staff immediately and if they cannot be reached contact Kimberly Kaufman (419-306-0340).
Dogs
Q. A dog is off-leash on the public beach? What should I do?
If no chicks have hatched yet, you can gently remind the dog owner that dogs should be on a leash and that there are endangered birds nesting on the beach.
If chicks are in the protected area and not yet venturing out, use the same approach as stated above, emphasizing that there are vulnerable chicks.
If the threat remains and requests to the owner have failed, report the situation to #ODNR (#6367).
Q. An off-leash dog has entered the protected area. What should I do?
If an off-leash dog (or a person with an on-leash dog) enters the protected area, advise them that the area is protected and they are not allowed in. If requests for them to exit fail, call #ODNR (#6367).
Garbage in the Protected Area
Q. There is garbage in the protected area. What should I do?
If you see a sizeable piece of garbage blowing around in the wind and it is not headed toward the nest, wait for it to blow out of the protected area (and then retrieve it).
Q. There is garbage which has blown onto the predator guard. What should I do?
If garbage is preventing the birds from returning to the nest (physically or by spooking them) quickly enter the area and remove the threat. If the birds do not return to the nest within 15 minutes of the garbage being removed, call Kimberly Kaufman at 419-306-0340.
Monitoring related
Q. I cannot make my shift on one of my scheduled dates. What should I do?
Call BSBO at 419-898-4070 or email us at [email protected].
Q. I cannot make my shift and there is no time for advanced notice, or I am running late to my shift. Who should I contact?
Call BSBO at 419-898-4070 or email us at [email protected].