Piping Plover Protection and Management:
A Historical Perspective

The Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) is a beach-nesting shorebird whose Atlantic Coast sub-population nests on sandy coastal beaches from North Carolina to Canada. Plovers are adapted to a harsh environment with nests often on highly exposed open sand and vulnerable to predators, storm overwash, and human disturbance. Hatchlings are precocial, and also vulnerable to predation, disturbance, and crushing by vehicles.

Over time, human encroachment from development interrupted natural flows of currents and sand, reducing natural habitat formation and replenishment. Concurrent with habitat loss was increased human recreation, which attracted yet more predators. Increased nest loss to a growing diversity of predators evolved into use of exclosures around eggs as a means of deterring problematic avian and mammalian wildlife.

In 1986, plovers were protected by the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, with states following suit. A federal recovery plan was put in place where plover “monitors” installed symbolic fencing, deterred predators, monitored breeding activity, educated the public and guarded refuges, and gathered detailed

nesting data, submitting data to agencies and other stakeholders. This data has been used to assess population recovery and guide future management decisions, including future effects of climate change.

In Massachusetts, pair abundance increased from under 200 in the early 1990’s, to over 1,000 pairs in 2024.  In Bristol County, pairs have nested mostly in Westport, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven, but have expanded into Wareham and New Bedford in recent history as the population surged and pairs discovered new sites. The county increased from 17 pairs in 1986 to an estimated 92 in 2024. Productivity has fluctuated over time as higher abundance and nest densities have provided a food source for predators.

Historically, the Lloyd Center managed Allens Pond in Dartmouth with its highest plover abundance and predator diversity, and Horseneck Beach State Reservation with its human recreation and ongoing park management activities. As the workload increased and Mass Audubon acquired Allens Pond Wildlife

Sanctuary, the Lloyd Center’s efforts focused on the state beaches of Horseneck, Gooseberry, Demarest Lloyd, and West Island, in partnership with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), from 2004-2017.

From 2018 - present, the Lloyd Center has focused on a diverse array of smaller, local sites, including annual contracts with the Town Beach of West Island (Fairhaven), and privately-owned Bakers Beach (Westport).

In 2022, The Center initiated plover management at the City of New Bedford’s East Beach when the first ever successful fledge was recorded.

In 2023, the Lloyd Center added the salt pond beaches of Cockeast (Elephant Rock) and Richmond Ponds in Westport (formerly managed by the RI Nature Conservancy (RINC)), and Salters Pond in Dartmouth, to its oversight.

In 2024, another new site was added, partnering with Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust (DNRT) for management at Nonquitt, which sits below “Nonquitt Marsh” where the Lloyd Center has done work in previous years.