Against all odds, piping plovers keep making history in Illinois

The myth persists of the cute little piping plovers at Montrose Beach kicking the ass of big bad corporate entertainment in 2019.

A shot of the Sun-Times cover headline — "LITTLE BIRDS VS BIG FESTIVAL" — was even included in Bob Dolgan's film, “Monty and Rose.”

Although true that JAM Productions canceled Mamby on the Beach, the music festival expected to draw 20,000, the cancellation had more to do with near-record water levels on Lake Michigan in 2019 than Monty and Rose at Montrose.

I thought that David vs Goliath victory would end the viral story of the piping plovers that could. But five years later piping plovers, a small stocky shorebird, and their stories keep making history.

Dolgan has made two documentaries on them. Tamima Itani, who leads volunteers who watch over the Montrose piping plovers, wrote two children's books, which helped raise $12,000. Naming of the piping plovers continues to draw vast interest.

Brad Semel, endangered species recovery specialist for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, thinks this marks the first time since 1955 when two pairs of piping plovers successfully nested in Illinois.

On July 19, the three of four chicks that hatched at Waukegan fledged. On Tuesday, the lone surviving chick of four at Montrose fledged.

"This beautiful bird with a melodious call [is] foraging in the rare panne wetland and wind swept dunes with the backdrop of the third largest city in the country literally across the street," Semel explained. "So much contrast people seem drawn to what is happening. And then on the isolated beach 30 miles to the north where the faint skyline is still seen and these birds are dealing with the same threats of peregrine falcons, botulism, storms, and yet so few people can see them directly because they are on a private beach without public access. All that happens `behind closed doors' but still is happening: such contrasts again."

The Great Lakes population of piping plovers was added to the endangered species list in 1984. This year the Great Lakes population had its most nesting pairs (81) since being listed. At least some credit should go to Monty and Rose. The eastern population is listed as threatened.

The viral saga began when Monty and Rose tried to nest in a Waukegan parking lot in 2018, which Semel said was "a terrible spot with drag racing, and the city wasn't responsive to closing off the area."

Much changed quickly. This year Waukegan made piping plover the city bird the day before piping plovers returned to a restricted beach there. In 2019, Monty and Rose nested at Montrose, the first in Cook County since 1948.

And a true community was born.

"This community of volunteers, birders, photographers, agency personnel, media representatives and visitors is diverse on so many levels, with people hailing from vastly different walks of lives, professions, income levels, sexual orientation, national origin, geographic residence, etc.," Itani said in an email.

She noted that in 2021, Monty and Rose's son, Nish, who hatched at Montrose in 2020, nested in Ohio, the first there in 81 years. Their son Imani, who hatched in 2021, returned to Montrose in '22 and '23, "Becoming the most celebrated bachelor on Lake Michigan's shores and commanding the most expensive and desirable lakefront real estate," as Itani put it.

This spring Imani found a mate in Sea Rocket. They hatched four, including the one who survived and just fledged.

Montrose has become a living education center with people asking, "What are you looking at?"

Semel said a guy was there last week who flew into O'Hare for a meeting and came to Montrose because he heard the plovers were around. Birders came from all over the world, "some from England the other day." He often hears languages spoken that he doesn't recognize.

"People visiting from out of town routinely stop at Montrose to see the plovers," Itani emailed. "People make the trip into the city from the suburbs in order to see the plovers."

People offer binoculars to those who don't have them. The monitors in their orange shirts answer questions. On social media there's almost a constant news feed. Itani said that people from Great Britain posted condolences when Monty died in 2022; visitors came from Turkey this year.

Some credit goes to Montrose Beach.

"It is the juxtaposition of wonderful beautiful dunes with rare plants and stewards who care for them," Semel said. "After it was fenced off for piping plovers, all these birds (willets, whimbrels, avocets, burrowing owl) were finding a wonderful place. There are all sorts of rare birds that show up and find this resting spot."

Montrose, also the epicenter for fishing, soccer and other recreation in Chicago, has become the single location with the third most bird species east of Mississippi.

"Montrose allows for easy access and viewing of the plovers," Itani said. "People's faces melt the first time they see a piping plover chick through a scope. These plovers are banded and can be followed as they travel across the United States. One can also follow who they mate with, who their parents and grandparents are, etc., creating a strong connection with each individual plover. Naming the plovers has had a great impact, making the birds relatable."

I worried that the emphasis on the piping plovers would draw attention away from other environmental and conservation work. Instead they build broader public support.

"The piping plovers at Montrose have become an umbrella species providing protection to many other species," Itani said. "Now, shorebirds have a place to stop, rest and refuel on the protected beach without being constantly flushed by humans. "I would love for the interest in them to fuel broader interest. In particular in Chicago, we have at least two pressing problems that need to be addressed in an urgent manner: 1) the issue of bird collisions with glass and 2) the issue of bird deaths by rodenticide. The City of Chicago governing bodies have not shown the level of commitment and action via ordinance that other cities have demonstrated, such as" New York City.