Along the coast of Rockaway Beach, small shorebirds breed and build nests. They are the piping plovers — and here in New York, the birds are considered a threatened species. In other parts of the country, they're on the endangered list.
"They've been nesting at this beach, as far as we know, since 1996," said Emily Kelderhouse, the Field Crew Leader for the Park’s Department Wildlife Unit. "So they've been coming here year after year."
The Wildlife Unit monitors plovers on Rockaway Beach multiple times a week, keeping records of the number of birds observed, as well as their eggs and nesting areas.
What You Need To Know
- Parks Department employees say an adult piping plover was killed and a nest was vandalized last month
- Piping plovers are considered a threatened species here in the city. In other parts of the country, they're endangered
- Human footprints and a sweatshirt were found near the nest
- The Parks Department says it's working alongside the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to determine if there is any criminality
But recently, they found an adult piping plover dead. Multiple nests were vandalized, and nests belonging to another species — the American oystercatcher — were also destroyed.
"This is a really unfortunate event. These birds come here each year. They are endangered species," Kelderhouse said. "So each bird really counts, and the chicks they hatch really count."
Kelderhouse says its not clear what happened, as there are no cameras near the endangered species nesting area on Beach 57th Street, but all clues lead to human interaction.
“There were several human footprints running throughout the site up to the nest. And a sweatshirt from a human was found near where the destruction was,” Kelderhouse said.
Since the vandalization, Wildlife Unit employees are working to protect the site, to keep people away while the birds are nesting.
"They really need their space to be able to incubate peacefully. And then once their chicks hatch, be able to get to the shoreline to feed and to be able to grow into full adult birds,” Kelderhouse said.
And with beach season upon us, Kelderhouse hopes visitors will respect the birds — and their space.
"It's really awesome to be able to see an endangered species here in New York City. And the best thing you can do is enjoy them, but enjoy them from a distance,” Kelderhouse said.
The Parks Department says it's working alongside the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine if there is any criminality.