Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site of Canada

The Piping Plover Monitoring Program

Since 1986, Park Wardens have monitored and documented piping plover nesting activity and behaviour on St. Catherines River beach at Kejimkujik's Seaside Adjunct. According to Park records, between four and ten pairs of plovers have made that beach their home each year. The Wardens' efforts help to reduce threats faced by adult plovers, their nests and their young until the young are able to fly.

A piping plover standing over a nest containing eggs
© Parks Canada / Gary Corbett, 1986

Many forces of nature make life difficult for piping plovers. Strong winds may leave eggs uncovered, exposing them to the cold. Higher than normal tides may flood areas of the beach, washing away nests or excluding plovers from certain sections of beach they might otherwise have used. Environmental conditions, such as cold temperatures and high winds, pose serious threats to young plovers.

The protection of suitable, undisturbed nesting habitat is instrumental in helping piping plover populations recover. As a result, part of St. Catherines River beach is closed to all public access from late April until early August while the plovers are nesting. Parks Canada's policy of closing the traditional nesting area has resulted in higher reproductive rates and fledging success. Chicks are usually considered fledged when they are 21 days old.

Visitors and a Park Warden
looking at a beach closed sign
at the Seaside Adjunct
© Parks Canada / Peter Hope, 1997

The predation of nests and chicks, primarily by crows, ravens, gulls, or raccoons, limits plover fledging success. In an effort to discourage predators, Park Wardens place circular exclosures of fencing wire around and over plover nests. Once the nests have been covered, wardens observe the adult plovers to ensure that they return to tend and incubate their eggs. Despite this protection, predation remains a threat. Since the monitoring program began, the number of nests predated each year has ranged from 0 to 11. Although Park Wardens can attribute some chick fatality to gulls and crows, many occurrences of predation are not witnessed.

Results of the Monitoring Program from 1986 - 2000

Despite efforts undertaken as part of the Piping Plover Monitoring Program, fledging success varies from year to year. Since the program began, between 0 and 23 chicks have fledged each year from St. Catherines River beach. Between 1994 and 2000, as a result of enhanced protection and monitoring, an average of 14 chicks fledged each year.

Canadian Wildlife Service Banding Study

The Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) initiated a banding study in 1998 to learn more about the movements and migration patterns of piping plovers. Park Wardens at the Seaside Adjunct became involved with this study in 1999 when they helped CWS staff band three adults and two chicks. In 2000, one of the adults banded the previous year returned to St. Catherines River beach to nest. This study expanded in 2000, with an additional 17 plovers banded on St. Catherines River beach.

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