Three endangered piping plover chicks were released into the wild Wednesday at Montrose Beach — the first time plovers raised in captivity were released in Chicago.
The three chicks were set free at a protected site on Montrose Beach as a part of ongoing recovery efforts for the piping plovers.
“The support the Chicago community has shown has been a major part of the decision to bring them here,” said Tamima Itani, coordinator of Chicago Piping Plovers.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources picked up seven chicks from Michigan on Wednesday. In addition to the three now at Montrose Beach, four others were also released at Illinois Beach State Park.
“It’s a really big deal,” Itani said. “A big part of the rationale to bring them here is that the Illinois and Chicago community has shown up for the piping plovers.”
The three chicks, named Searocket, Prickley Pear and Wild Indigo, explored their new environment at Montrose Beach on Wednesday, July 12, 2023.
Tamima Itani/Chicago Piping Plovers
Itani, who was there when the birds were released earlier on Wednesday and will continue to watch them every day, said the chicks are just over 30 days old.
“It’s so special we have this opportunity to monitor them, to see how they react to being in the wild, how they deal with being in the wild,” Itani said.
The three chicks, named Searocket, Prickley Pear and Wild Indigo, have been exploring their new environment at Montrose Beach. Their names are a nod to the native plants in the Montrose Beach Dunes Natural Area.
They immediately ran to take a bath in the lake once they were released. One also wandered over to the volleyball courts and another checked out the boardwalk, Itani said.
“They have great personalities, it’s really fun to watch,” Itani said.
Imani, the famous resident piping plover at Montrose, is protective of the chicks and chasing away other birds from the beach, Itani said.
The three chicks, named Searocket, Prickley Pear and Wild Indigo, explored their new environment at Montrose Beach on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. They immediately ran to take a bath in the lake once they were released.
Tamima Itani/Chicago Piping Plovers
The chicks are originally from upstate New York. Their nest wasn’t viable — meaning their parents had abandoned them — so the Great Lakes Piping Plovers rescued and incubated them until they were ready to be released.
Itani said she’s optimistic the three will return next year for breeding time, which is also when it’ll be determined whether they’re male or female.
“The data we have says that 70% of captive reared chicks return to the sites where they’re released, So we’re hoping they’ll come back,” Itani said. “This helps increase the geographic disbursement and diversification of the piping plovers.”
“We’re hoping if there’s a female between them there will be a mate for Imani.”
Itani advises anyone hoping to catch a glimpse of Searocket, Prickley Pear and Wild Indigo to keep at least a football field distance from them.