Chicago, IL. – The Chicago Park District, with our partners the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Chicago Piping Plovers volunteer group, are excited to announce the presence of a new egg on the protected area at Montrose Beach Dunes along the Chicago shoreline, near the newly named Monty and Rose Wildlife Habitat. The egg is the product of the recent pair bond between native-born Piping Plover Imani, who hatched at Montrose in 2021, and Searocket, one of the 5-week-old captive-reared Piping Plover chicks that were released back into the wild at Montrose in July 2023. This release marked the first-time piping plovers were released outside Michigan in an effort to achieve the recovery goal of 50 pairs of plovers outside Michigan.
In a successful scenario, the chicks would return to Montrose Beach Dunes to nest. Documented migration suggests that captive-reared chicks are more likely to return to their release beach the following spring. The experiment worked, and Chicago is awaiting the arrival of a new chick within a month.
The Chicago Park District will be working with partners to monitor the fenced area near their nest to ward off and deter predators from approaching. All staff and volunteers on watch will wear highly visible gear when inside the Natural Area and along the shoreline.
“The Chicago Park District is excited about the possibility of new hatchlings at the newly named Monty and Rose Wildlife Habitat,” said Matthew Freer, Chicago Park District Assistant Director of Landscape, Natural Resources and Cultural Resources. “The arrival of this endangered species has birthed a new generation of advocates for the conservation of urban natural settings, including beaches, that are home to many migrating shorebirds. These tiny birds have had a massive impact on policies and practices that aim to improve their species’ survival.”
“This grand experiment in trying to recover the iconic symbol of the Great Lakes shoreline has come full circle with the return of both wild hatched and captive reared young, “said Brad Semel, Illinois Department of Natural Resources Endangered Species Recovery Specialist. “It has been a real privilege to work with the Great Lakes Piping Plover Conservation Team and to see their years of their dedicated efforts reach the shores of Illinois. It gives a real sense of hope whenever we see a success story such as this impacting our natural world.”
“We are grateful to the Chicago Park District and all the partner agencies we work with for sparing no effort to make the Montrose Beach Dunes a nesting location for the endangered Piping Plovers, as well as other shorebird species, “said Tamima Itani, volunteer for the Chicago Piping Plover volunteer group.
“This match is a win for conservation efforts citywide, and we could not have done it without the support of our partners at the US Fish and Wildlife and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as well as the many plover monitors and habitat volunteers that assist in maintaining the area clean and in optimal conditions to maximize wildlife survival,” continued Freer.
Patrons can help keep the nest and egg safe by respecting closed area boundaries, keeping dogs on leashes, and taking trash with them at the end of their beach visit.
Piping plovers had disappeared from Illinois beaches around 1955. After population numbers started increasing, they were next seen nesting in Illinois sixty years later in 2015. In 2019, Montrose Beach fledged chicks for the first time since 1955.