The following was sent in by the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex:The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service needs your help again this summer to protect piping plovers, their nests and chicks on Rhode Island beaches. The piping plover is a small, stocky, sandy-colored bird resembling a sandpiper, and they typically return to Rhode Island in March and April. Piping plovers are protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act and are classified as a “Threatened” species. These migratory shorebirds have returned to Rhode Island and will spend several weeks establishing nesting territories before beginning to lay eggs on the state’s beaches.In order to encourage successful piping plover nesting, the Service has for many years temporarily closed specific areas with ropes and signs. These temporary closures protect shorebirds from pedestrians, pets, and vehicles because disturbance can cause the birds to abandon the site or eggs can be crushed. As a result of this effort, and with the assistance of the public, the number of piping plover nesting pairs in Rhode Islandhas risen from 10 pairs in 1986 to 99 pairs last year.What visitors can do to help:-Respect all temporarily closed areas on Rhode Island beaches for protection of wildlife.-Do
