Area residents are welcome to help out some fine feathered friends here for a beach vacation.

The piping plover, a federally listed endangered bird, is once again digging on Georgian Bay beaches in Tiny Township and Wasaga Beach.

“The birds start to arrive, they usually lay eggs around mid-May,” said Andrea Gress, Ontario Piping Plover Program Coordinator at Birds Canada / Birds Canada.

“The main nesting site in this area is Wasaga Beach, but we have also had nests in Tiny Township for the past two seasons. With lower water levels, it is likely that they will continue to nest in Tiny Township.

With only 8,000 piping plovers left, they need all the help they can get, according to Gress.

To this end, the public is encouraged to report sightings to Birds Canada at [email protected] so that appropriate protection and monitoring measures can be put in place.

“They are very endangered and it’s always special to see them nest wherever they find themselves,” said Gress, noting that the birds only breed in Canada and the United States.

“Last year they nested in Wasaga Beach, Woodland Beach, Toronto Island, Sauble Beach and Darlington Provincial Park. We only had seven pairs in the entire province in 2020 and only 64 pairs in all of the Great Lakes. They breed only in Canada and the United States.

The birds lay their eggs in mid-May and the eggs hatch after a month.

“So they usually hatch around Father’s Day weekend,” Gress said. “Then the chicks take three to four weeks to learn to fly, but they can walk right away. Then they begin to migrate south between mid-July and early August.

And like many other species at risk, the fact that so few piping plovers remain in the world can be directly attributed to humans, according to Gress.

“The reason why these birds are in danger is mainly due to habitat loss due to human activities,” she said, noting that developing coastal areas, poor beach management, beach recreation by tens of thousands play a role.

“So it’s very important to help protect them, because we’re the reason they’re not doing so well. Moreover, it is easy to help them. “

Once the nesting area is identified, all nests will be fenced off and people will not be allowed to enter.

“If you see a plover outside the fenced area, give it plenty of space,” Gress said. MidlandToday. “They need to be able to rest and feed themselves in safety.”

She said it was also important not to let dogs disturb the birds, adding: “Don’t feed the wildlife and remove all litter and food from the beach when you go.”