First Hooded Plover fledglings for 2022
Published on 01 February 2022
The first Hooded Plover fledglings in Onkaparinga this breeding season have begun flying on Maslin Beach.
Last Thursday, just 39 days after hatching on Maslin Beach, the two Hooded Plover chicks were spotted flying about 50 metres, which means their chances of surviving and escaping from predators are now greatly improved.
The family of threatened shorebirds has had lots of support from Hooded Plover volunteers, who’ve been on the beach every day to maintain temporary fencing that helps protect nests and gives the chicks a safe refuge, record data, and talk to beachgoers on how to help them survive.
Volunteers and council staff have also thanked locals and visitors to Maslin Beach for their interest and assistance in helping the chicks to get through the most difficult part of their life.
Hooded Plover chicks have a low chance of survival because they can’t fly for the first five weeks; become easily frightened by human and off-leash dog activity and are susceptible to a range of predators.
The two fledglings follow a record breeding season (typically August to March) in 2020-21, with five fledged chicks on Onkaparinga’s beaches. It was a far cry from the breeding season two years earlier, when there were no fledged chicks.
There are hopes there will be more fledged chicks this season, so beachgoers are advised to continue to be vigilant through March with other active nesting sites in Onkaparinga including Aldinga Beach and Ochre Cove.
That means obeying signage, keeping your dogs leashed when walking past breeding areas, and keeping your distance from chicks to prove the birds with safe spaces to breed.
When Hooded Plover volunteers locate a nest, breeding success is supported by the guidelines included in the Hooded Plover Program Response Plan created by project partners BirdLife Australia and Green Adelaide.
City of Onkaparinga supplies temporary fencing and signage and supports trained BirdLife Australia volunteers to install them to alert beachgoers to the Hoodies nesting nearby.
Council ranger patrols at local beaches help the public to comply with the advice given to help the birds thrive.
Hooded Plovers are nationally listed as 'Vulnerable' under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, which means the species is at risk of becoming extinct if they can't continue to successfully breed on our beaches.
If you would like to learn more about Hooded Plovers, visit the Green Adelaide and BirdLife websites.
Please note: the accompanying photos have been taken by trained volunteers using a telephoto lens (the image has also been heavily cropped), ensuring the birds aren’t disturbed.