Supporting Piping Plover Conservation Efforts

About

The piping plover (Charadrius melodus) is a small, highly specialized migratory shorebird that serves as an indicator species for the health of North America’s sandy beaches, sandflats, and riverine sandbars. Renowned for its reliance on wide, open, gravel-and-sand dune ecosystems for both foraging and nesting, the species faces an uphill battle for survival due to its close proximity to human recreation and development.

Legally protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) since December 11, 1985, the piping plover is divided into three geographically distinct breeding populations across two recognized subspecies: the Atlantic Coast population (C. m. melodus), the Northern Great Plains population (C. m. circumcinctus), and the Great Lakes watershed population (C. m. circumcinctus). As of 2025, the Great Lakes population consisted of just 90 breeding pairs, with a target recovery goal of 150 pairs. For the first time in over 70 years, the piping plover began nesting at Chicago’s Montrose Beach in 2019 and has returned each year since.

As the population expands back into urban environments, institutions like Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo have stepped into pivotal, frontline roles to secure the species’ future. The zoo’s Animal Care, Veterinary, and Conservation and Science teams collaborate to act as a vital ecological safety net and emergency response for these piping plovers locally and through a regional captive breeding program. To improve coexistence between all users of one of Chicago’s busiest and largest beaches—the people, dogs, and wildlife—the zoo leads an ongoing, multi-organizational collaboration aimed at reducing dog disturbance toward piping plovers at Montrose Beach by applying evidence-based, behavior-centered solutions.

Providing Animal Care Support

The zoo’s animal care team actively cares for local plover populations by providing essential monitoring, incubation, chick rearing, and veterinary support. A profound example of this localized intervention occurred during the 2026 breeding season, when four abandoned piping plover eggs were rescued from a flooded lakefront in the region. Under the care of the zoo, all four eggs successfully hatched, directly infusing vital new life into the fragile regional population.

Beyond immediate local emergencies, the zoo remains deeply committed to broad-scale conservation by deploying staff every summer to an elite regional plover rearing facility. There, team members assist with incubation and chick-rearing efforts, providing the intensive expertise necessary to bolster the wider Great Lakes population.