Chicago releases piping plover chicks at Montrose Beach to support conservation efforts

CHICAGO - Chicago has released piping plover chicks back into the wild at Montrose Beach, marking the first time these tiny birds have been released outside of Michigan.

The goal is to establish 50 pairs of plovers outside The Wolverine State.

The plover chicks were rescued in New York after the loss of incubating adults. They were then transported to Michigan to be raised in captivity before being released in Chicago.

When summer ends, the plovers will continue their journey and head south for the winter.

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"Releasing captive-reared piping plover chicks in new locations helps to encourage the population to spread throughout the Great Lakes Region," said Armand Cann, USFWS fish and wildlife biologist. "It’s a strategy to reduce the extinction risk to the population. We aren’t putting ‘all our eggs in one basket’ or in this case all our chicks on one beach!"

The hope is that the plovers will return to Montrose Beach next year to nest.

Piping plovers had disappeared from Illinois beaches in 1955, but made a comeback in 2015.

"Monty and Rose showed the world [that] Chicago could support plovers and these chicks will continue their legacy," said Brad Semel, Illinois Department of Natural Resources endangered species recovery specialist.

Additionally, four other piping plovers will be released at Illinois Beach State Park in Lake County.