{"id":17961,"date":"2025-09-23T13:50:59","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T17:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/?p=17961"},"modified":"2025-09-23T13:51:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T17:51:05","slug":"piping-plovers-show-population-gains-but-fewer-fledglings-in-delaware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/piping-plovers-show-population-gains-but-fewer-fledglings-in-delaware\/","title":{"rendered":"Piping Plovers Show Population Gains but Fewer Fledglings in Delaware"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

DOVER, DE \u2014 Delaware\u2019s beach-nesting piping plovers, a federally threatened and state-endangered species, experienced mixed outcomes in 2025, according to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). While the number of adult pairs increased, nesting success declined due to predation and unfavorable weather conditions.
At The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park, DNREC biologists recorded nine nesting pairs of piping plovers, a record high for the site, while Fowler Beach on Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge hosted 21 nesting pairs.
In total, Delaware documented 30 nesting pairs statewide, driven in part by the birds\u2019 use of The Point. \u201cBreeding adults with high success in 2024 returned this spring, along with new birds and second and third-year birds making their first breeding attempts near their birth sites,\u201d said Katherine \u201cKat\u201d Christie, DNREC coastal waterbird biologist and leader of the Delaware Shorebird Project.
However, piping plovers faced significant challenges. Predation by owls, red foxes, coyotes, ghost crabs, and other wildlife posed threats, including adult mortalities and attempted predation on chicks, such as the rehabilitated plover known as Nomad. Extreme heat in late June also likely contributed to chick and nest loss during a critical period of development. Despite these obstacles, pair counts have generally increased since 2016, following habitat restoration at Fowler Beach after Hurricane Sandy. Pair numbers rose to 31 in 2023 but fell to 24 in 2024.
Statewide, Delaware\u2019s piping plovers produced 27 fledglings this year, fewer than the 41 recorded in 2024. Productivity, measured as fledglings per breeding pair, was 1.0, below the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recovery goal of 1.5 but consistent with typical values from 2021 to 2023. No pairs attempted to nest at historically active Gordon\u2019s Pond this year.
DNREC works in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s Wildlife Services, and other agencies to monitor populations and track individual birds using unique plastic leg bands. These identifiers help biologists study movement patterns, confirm broods, and count fledglings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Beach-Nesting Birds<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n