Saving More Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan

Posted by
Rosemary Drisdelle
Aug 7, 2006

In June, I wrote about the endangered Piping Plover, and the efforts to protect its nesting sites on the Atlantic coast of North America. However, a significant number of Piping Plovers nest in the Prairies and this population, too, is in decline. The Bird Studies Canada website reported in late July that, in 2005, Piping Plover nests near Lake Diefenbaker were in grave danger of being flooded - an event that would be a serious blow to the species.

The Saskatchewan Watershed Authority stepped in and collected 264 eggs from nests threatened by the rising waters. They then incubated the eggs artificially and reared the hatchlings in captivity before releasing them into the wild. About 111 Piping Plover chicks survived.

Besides saving more than a hundred Piping Plover chicks that would probably not have hatched otherwise, the project provided more than a hundred dead chicks, which were frozen for later study. Recently, with support form the National Wildlife Research Centre, scientists began to study the dead chicks, hoping to learn more about Piping Plover biology. Their efforts will increase knowledge about the bird and help prepare for possible future captive rearing efforts.

Clearly, for endangered birds like Piping Plovers and Whooping Cranes, captive rearing efforts can make a significant difference.