Ontario Piping Plover Conservation Program

Piping Plover chicks learn to fly when they're 3-4 weeks old. At 6-8 weeks, they migrate around 2000 km south. It's quite an amazing feat! This photo was taken June 25 at Wasaga Beach. This chick was just learning to fly then, and has since been spotted numerous times in Florida where its spending the winter months.

We really miss our favorite birds. Yes, we know they're enjoying the sun in their winter homes, but still....we miss them! If you do too, check out this fantastic website full of Piping Plover stories, videos and more! https://www.greatlakespipingplover.org/

What's your favorite bird? Piping Plover, Canada Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco perhaps? And how did you first discover these wonderful birds? Your Giving Tuesday gift will help more people discover birds & become champions for conservation. With your support, Birds Canada will expand our outreach & education programs. Learn more: https://www.birdscanada.org/spark-environmental-awareness-/ #GivingTuesdayCA

Well said! So many passionate plover people are involved in conservation efforts, from researchers to volunteers, and everyone in between!

On November 5, 2020, the Government of Ontario revealed its plans to severely curtail the role of Conservation Authorities in watershed planning and management. Please support the call from the NGO community to withdraw Schedule 6 from Bill 229, which would significantly undermine efforts to conserve biodiversity - including birds - and to build community resilience to climate change.

Surprise surprise, Flash is still in Alabama! He is regularly reported on eBird. The most recent sighting was reported on November 11, but he's been there since at least August 1st. Must have found a great beach! Flash bred at Tiny Township this season, and fledged his first chick! We kinda love him!

For those of you who know Andrea, our Piping Plover Coordinator, you know that she can't pass up an opportunity to talk plovers! Recently she had a visit with talk: Wildlife to discuss her favorite bird and local conservation efforts. https://www.youtube.com/watch

Have you entered the Pumpkins for Plovers contest yet?! Head over to Instagram to learn more about this really cool fundraiser! https://www.instagram.com/pumpkinsforplovers/?hl=en

The International Shorebird Twitter Conference has kicked off this morning. Shorebird researchers from all over the world are sharing quick snapshots of their research, including Ontario's very own Andrew Brown, who has been researching Piping Plover dispersal in the Great Lakes. To get in on the fun, follow #ISTC20 on Twitter. https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISTC20?src=hashtag_click

Flash and Tweety fledged 1 chick this summer from Woodland Beach in Tiny Township. The support from the local community and beach goers was inspiring! You can read about their nest in the newest edition of the Tiny Cottager. http://www.tinycottager.org//TinyCottagerNewsletterFinalLo

We're so stoked about this contest! Pumpkins for Plovers! Head over to the Instagram page @pumpkinsforplovers to enter. Big shout out to the organizer, a student in Nova Scotia who came up with this idea to raise money for Piping Plover conservation! https://www.instagram.com/pumpkinsforplovers/?hl=en

#DidYouKnow not all eggs will hatch at once! Here, mom is still incubating some eggs, while her eldest chick is up and running! Try managing all that at the same time!

Another interesting success story about a nest taken to the captive rearing facility this summer! Always great to see!

#DidYouKnow plovers lay their eggs directly in the sand? This gentleman is preparing a nest 'scrape' in a well camouflaged area (little did he know it was an easy landmark for us!). Natural debris is an important part of a healthy beach.

Have you carved your pumpkin yet?? Check out this pumpkin carving contest happening over on Instagram! You can even win some plover prizes from us! This contest is being organized by a student in Nova Scotia to raise funds for plover conservation efforts in Canada. Kids these days are seriously awesome! https://www.instagram.com/pumpkinsforplovers/?hl=en

An Ontario fledgling looking good! The folks out in Tiny Township think this fella should be nicknamed Woody, because it hatched from Woodland Beach. What do you think?

Here's a great photo of our 2020 fledgling from Wasaga Beach. This plover hatched from Worsley and Pepa's nest. It has been hanging out on the sandy Florida beaches much of the fall!

Plover Pumpkins are all the rage! Test your carving skills with these handy templates! #Halloween #PumpkinCarving https://www.birdscanada.org/carve-a-piping-plover-pumpkin-/

Our Piping Plover Coordinator, Andrea, is out of the house today looking for birds! Not plovers...just regular, wonderful, birds! She's joining #teamcanuk as part of the #GreatCanadianBirdathon, to raise funds for bird conservation across Canada. You can follow their progress live over on Twitter @BirdsCanada_ON. I wonder what birds they spot!? https://www.canadahelps.org//bird-studies/p2p/birdathon20/

#QuizTime! What is this #PipingPlover doing? a) 'dusting' himself to clean greasy feathers b) plotting how he's going to steal your beach chair c) making a nest scrape to impress a special someone

Are Piping Plovers just birds, or are they Shakespearean actors!? Dive into this whimsical, and all too real tale of tragedy, betrayal, and love at Wasaga Beach. http://www.ontarioparks.com/p/wasaga-piping-plover-romance/

The Piping Plover captive rearing program in Michigan faced many challenges this year due to COVID-19. But that sure didn't stop them from having a successful season, and releasing a record number of fledglings! Well done! https://www.record-eagle.com//article_a149dd46-fc21-11ea-a

This plover hatched from Wasaga Beach this year, and was observed at the end of July in Pennsylvania. We were wondering if it had made it any further...and it has! It is now in Florida, a common wintering location for Great Lakes Piping Plovers! Thanks Kara for sharing the sighting and photo!

Another Ontario plover in Florida! This is Ms. Howard, spotted at her favorite park, Fred Howard Park. Hmmm I wonder where her nickname came from?? She fledged all 4 of her chicks this season! You might not recognize her in this photo, as she's ditched her breeding plumage for a much lighter fashion. Big thanks to Florida birders for sharing their sightings!

#DidYouKnow Piping Plovers share nest duties equally? In this photo, dad is just about to leave the nest and let mom take over. And if you look closely, you'll see that these aren't just eggs anymore!

Flash has been spotted in Alabama! He hatched from captive rearing in 2017. This season he nested at Tiny Township and had his first successful fledgling! Glad to hear he's doing well. Big thanks to all the birders and Alabama Audubon who are surveying coastal areas!

Love these birds and their antics! What do you think the plover on the right is thinking? #CaptionThis

Are you going to be carving a pumpkin this weekend? How about a Plover Pumpkin!! Visit the link for printable templates, or get creative with your own design. Don't forget to share your creations! #Halloween http://ow.ly/u7rW50BTjRU

Did you learn anything this #PloverAppreciationDay? Test your knowledge with this plover quiz...it goes well beyond Piping Plovers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PloverNerd Thanks Hooded Plover for putting together this challenge!

Test your plover knowledge! What are these two chicks up to? a) resting up after a big day b) hiding from predators because mom and dad told them to c) modified version of the limbo dance

Why celebrate plovers on Plover Appreciation Day? See what our PIPL Coordinator has to say! (yes, she's even dressed like a Piping Plover). Big thanks to eveyone supporting plovers all over the world! #PloverAppreciationDay #LoveAPlover

Hi Ontario Birders!! We think you'll want to start following this page. It will have updates on the 3rd Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. This is a huge collaborative effort to map the distribution and abundance of Ontario's 300 bird species. It can't be done without YOUR help! Volunteers will be needed, and fun will be had!

Still not sure what your favorite plover is? We can't blame you, how could you possibly choose! #LoveAPlover Here are Hooded Plover, Killdeer, White-fronted Plover and Piping Plover chicks. All equally wonderful! #PloverAppreciationDay is the day to celebrate them all!

Happy #PloverAppreciationDay! Do you have a favorite plover? Share a comment, a memory, or a photo! We'd love to hear from you! #LoveAPlover Plover Lovers Great Lakes Piping Plover Recovery Effort

These are some fantastic #PloverAppreciationDay outfits! Do you know we have more than just Piping Plovers in North America? So many different fashions to choose from...Black-bellied Plover, Golden Plover, Wilson's Plover, Snowy Plover, even Killdeer! Plover Appreciation Day is only 1 sleep away! #LoveAPlover

To celebrate #PloverAppreciationDay, our Piping Plover Coordinator will be chatting with researchers from Australia and the UK. Tune in TONIGHT, to hear about global plover conservation efforts. The episode will be aired live, and we'll also share a link to the recording afterwards. Head over to Twitter at 8pm EST for a link to the podcast. https://twitter.com/birdemergency