by Linda Gangi

Many of New Jersey's visiting birds are endangered or threatened and need our help to survive and flourish.  If you visit New Jersey’s beaches during the summer you may have noticed certain sections are roped off and you may have wondered why.  Possibly you may have been irritated by this, mad that you didn’t have full access to the beach.  The reality is these small roped off sections of the beach are the last strong hold for many bird species.  Although most times we view our beaches as recreation outlets, many birds view them as habitat, a place to procreate, a food source, and without them these birds may not survive.

N.J. Fish and Wildlife manages a Threatened or Endangered Beach Nesting/Bird Monitoring program each year. They work to educate local areas and encourage them to find volunteers that would be willing to monitor populations of breeding birds. The Monmouth County Park System is one of the local institutions that have taken on the project and Seven Presidents Park is one of the sites where Piping Plovers and Least Terns return each year.

Piping Plover family.
Photo Credit: Sue Puder