3 chicks died in span of 5 days last week
A second of four newly-hatched piping plover chicks has died at Montrose Beach , the Chicago Piping Plover s organization said Friday.Ever since Monty and Rose captured the hearts of Chicagoans in 2019, piping plover s have become nearly as beloved a part of summer in the city as block parties and Italian ice.The causes of their deaths haven't been determined, but wildlife experts are exploring the ways the chicks could have been killed and how the surviving birds can be kept safe.
Chicago birders and wildlife experts are fiercely protective of the piping plovers, which migrate to the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary every spring. Safety measures are used to keep the birds safe, but there's only so much that can be controlled. Those risks could be predators like larger birds or vermin, humans and their all-terrain vehicles and off-leash dogs, avian diseases and bacterial and fungal infections. Plovers also face environmental risks like severe weather, dramatic temperature changes or the availability of food and shelter.
Late Saturday, the third chick was also taken to Lincoln Park Zoo after it was also seen struggling. The chick died overnight. Last week's rain, for example, could have washed out their food source. Their immune system is also not fully developed, so certain bacteria and fungi might be deadly to them. They're also highly susceptible to stress, he added."With plentiful birds, like starlings or sparrows, it's not uncommon for several or maybe the majority of the chicks to die," he said. "But with plovers, it's very much a big deal, or it could be a big deal for their long-term survival.
Montrose Beach Plover Bird 15071564
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