Piping Plovers are federally endangered in the Great Lakes watershed. This trio was at Waukegan Beach in Lake County (IL) today. They are plump but small shorebirds that blend in with the sandy beach until they move. One of the birds was banded (green bands on both legs) the other two were not banded, which means that they are from an unknown/unmonitored location. In 2001 the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service estimated the Great Lakes population at only 32 breeding pairs and developed a plan to assist population recovery. Given these low numbers, it was a special treat to see them today.
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