The plight of the Piping Plover, a small, endangered shorebird, calls for attention and conservation efforts as another breeding season is in full bloom on the peninsula from April through July.
We would like to highlight the continued success of the Piping Plover research team at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SBDNL) after years of hard work that has undoubtedly led to a rebound in the small shoreline birds population.
The Piping Plover has recovered from roughly 12 pairs in the nineties to 80 pairs as of 2023. Team members at the park are hoping those numbers tick up ever so slightly this summer.
The Piping Plover signifies the resilience of Leelanau. If a shoreline bird can make its home here, even for a brief period, then why can’t any regular human?
As of 2023, the southern region of the park, particularly Glen Haven south, serves as the primary habitat for the majority of the Piping Plover population. Approximately 80 pairs, comprising half of the total pairs in the area, inhabit this region. Notably, Dimmick’s Point, situated on the southeast corner of North Manitou Island, hosts a significant portion of these pairs, accounting for approximately 50%. Remarkably, this area on the island constitutes one-fourth of the global population nesting during any given season.
SBDNL partners with the University of Minnesota, Detroit Zoo and the Fish and Wildlife Service, along with other organizations and volunteer groups that remain vital to the operation of saving the Piping Plover.
There are three small populations nationwide: one in the Great Plains, one on the Atlantic Coast, and one here in the Great Lakes.
Piping Plovers face a myriad of threats, including habitat loss, disturbance from human activities, predation, and climate change-induced threats. Without intervention, these threats could push the species closer to extinction.
The beaches they require for nesting habitat are also very desirable to humans for development and recreational use. Dogs and cats, as well as wild predators such as gulls, crows, raccoons, and foxes, often harass and kill plover adults and chicks and also take their eggs.
Please help protect our dear Piping Plover by obeying closed area fences.
• Keep dogs on leashes and out of closed beaches
• Don’t feed gulls or leave food on the beach
• If you find a plover, give it plenty of space
• If you see anyone harassing piping plovers please report it to Sleeping Bear Dunes Headquarters. (231-3264700 ext. 5010)
• Volunteer to join the Piping Plover Patrol
• Watch and enjoy Piping Plovers from a distance
