Monty and Rose hatch four 2020 chicks at Montrose Beach!
2019 Photo of Monty & Rose and Chick by Tamima Itani, All Rights Reserved
Exciting Announcement from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife:
June 18, 2020 - All four chicks from Monty and Rose’s 2020 nest has hatched!
Endangered piping plover chicks are once again running around Chicago’s Montrose Beach under the watchful eyes of a rotating crew of volunteer piping plover monitors. In recognition of the importance of this nest to recovery of this endangered species, the plover monitors have been granted access to the Lakefront to monitor the plover family.
Piping plover chicks are able to leave the nest after hatching and run around finding small bugs to feed themselves. Monty and Rose do not feed the chicks, but spend their time guarding the tiny puffballs from predators like gulls and raccoons. Dogs off leash also pose a very serious threat to the little plover chicks. Any disruption, even going too close to the plovers to take photos, can result in flushing the birds and separating the chicks from adults leaving them vulnerable to predators. Everyone can help by following guidance provided by the plover monitors on where the plover family currently is and how to observe them without putting them in danger.
The endangered Great Lakes Piping Plover population, once down to less than twenty pairs, has rebounded thanks to recovery efforts to around 70 breeding pairs. More information about the Great Lakes Piping Plover recovery effort (and many adorable videos of plover chicks!) can be found at the Great Lakes Piping Plovers website and their Facebook page.
Many thanks to everyone who has made this happy event possible! The Chicago Park District has been hard at work during the Lakefront closure ensuring that protections are in place for the plover nesting area, and working with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the USDA Wildlife Services, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in monitoring the safety of the birds. The efforts of the Chicago Park District and the volunteer habitat stewards who manage the natural area of Montrose Dunes created a nesting place for these endangered birds. Piping Plover monitors coordinated by the Illinois Ornithological Society, the Chicago Audubon Society, and the Chicago Ornithological Society are now onsite helping to protect the nest and will be available to explain to beachgoers the importance of giving the tiny hatchlings space to eat and rest, once the Lakefront reopens. Please respect their safety by maintaining a 6 foot distance at all times.
Louise Clemency
Field Supervisor
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Chicago Ecological Services Office
230 South Dearborn St., Suite 2938
Chicago, IL 60604