Rising seas fueled by the warming planet have started washing away nests of endangered hooded plovers in Australia, spurring conservationists into action to save them.
What's happening?
As the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported, hooded plover habitats along beaches in southwest Victoria are increasingly threatened by high tides and storm surges, forcing the birds to nest on higher ground.
In recent years, high seas have swept some of the plovers' eggs away, so they've started building their nests on dunes instead of the beach. While it's a good sign that the animals are adapting, it's yet another reminder of how quickly the climate is changing worldwide.
The hooded plover's population once dropped to just 450 before conservation efforts led to their successful recovery — with an estimated 3,000 individuals across Australia currently. But flooded beaches and worsening storms leave much less dry land for the birds to nest and lay eggs, putting their survival at risk.
"That increased severity of storm surges and king tides, along with the increasing pressure of humans on the beach means they are up against it," Dan Lees, the coastal birds program officer at the nonprofit BirdLife Australia, told ABC News.
"They're a species where there's so many threats facing it, it's death by a thousand cuts."
Why is this concerning?
As conservationists explained to ABC, hooded plovers prefer to nest on beaches rather than on steep dune faces, where it's harder for the birds to hatch. But with rising seas swamping beaches and eroding dunes, it's leaving the birds with few options.
Plovers are beneficial to humans as they keep beaches clean by ridding them of debris and small crustaceans, along with providing opportunities to connect with nature and appreciate wildlife.
Their foraging behavior is also crucial to a healthy coastal ecosystem, as it keeps populations of invertebrates in check. Being a vital part of the food chain, larger birds such as raptors, gulls, and ravens depend on hooded plover eggs for survival.
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Definitely 👍 As the warming climate reduces the available habitat for the birds, it could disrupt the delicate balance of beach ecosystems and undo decades of recovery operations.
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Human activity — namely the burning of dirty fuels — is threatening countless species worldwide. Migratory birds are cutting their stays in wintering grounds short because of rising temperatures, and more frequent heatwaves in Australia are endangering brown booby, lesser frigatebird, and masked booby populations — all seabirds that rely on stable beach and marine ecosystems.
What's being done to save hooded plovers?
Hope isn't lost for the hooded plovers, as the federal government in Australia has invested over $17 million in projects to protect them from extreme weather, per ABC.
Wildlife officers have also put up signs in the birds' nesting areas to provide guidelines for the public, including keeping dogs on leashes and leaving them plenty of breathing room.
"We can't control the tides. We can't control the weather. But we can control people's awareness of the birds on the beaches," Conservation Regulator forest and wildlife officer Monique Cugliari told the news outlet.
Along with being mindful of sensitive bird habitats, we can help birds survive by switching to clean energy sources to power our homes, such as solar panels, and eco-friendly appliances that don't produce pollution.
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