A DOG has been blamed for the death of a hooded plover chick at Robe’s Long Beach during the New Year festive period.
Found dead by Friends of Shorebirds SE volunteers on New Year’s morning, the carcass was sent to BirdLife Australia in Victoria for a necropsy.
Results revealed the chick died from the result of crush trauma, suspected to have been inflicted by a dog.
This suggests the death was the result of being picked up by a dog and crushed.
The nesting site where the chick was being raised by parent birds is a leash-only zone, but volunteers regularly observe dogs let off-lead, particularly during the summer months.
This results in significant stress for hooded plovers as dogs can attack the chicks or interfere with eggs in the nest.
Even disturbing the parent birds on the nest leaves chicks or eggs vulnerable to predation by other birds, or risk of exposure to either heat or cold.
Friends of Shorebirds SE Chairman Jeff Campbell was highly critical of the actions of some beach users.
“It’s a terribly difficult period for all of our beach nesting birds with the influx of vehicles, dogs and people to their nesting areas,” Mr Campbell said.
“During the New Year period the nesting site was repeatedly interfered with and the signs, ropes and chick shelters were pulled out and smashed.
“The unnecessary death of a hooded plover chick is a tragic result for this threatened species.”
Mr Campbell said his group had also received a report of a recently fledged pied oystercatcher chick death near Nora Creina which was the result of having been run over by a four-wheel drive vehicle.
“We are trying to increase people’s awareness of beach nesting shorebirds through signage, temporary fencing around nests and through events like the dogs breakfasts that were held recently in various coastal towns,” he said.
“What we need is some space while they are nesting and simple things like putting your dog on a leash ensures the nesting site is not interfered with and the eggs and chicks are safe.
“We just ask people to share the beach with the birds.”
