COVID-19 pandemic hits bird populations across region

NEW YORK - 2020 has been a hard year all around, even as it turns out, on the birds.

"This was the worst year for Piping Plovers in at least 13 years, at least in terms of its productivity," said Patrick Comins, Executive Director of the Connecticut Audubon Society.

The Piping Plover is a federally-threatened gray and white bird with a sometimes orange beak that breeds along our local shorelines in parts of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.

This year, its population was impacted by the pandemic. One reason? More people heading outside to beaches and parks than ever before.

"The sheer volume of people, bringing their dogs out to beaches, people who may not have been familiar with these areas and weren't necessarily respectful of the closed areas," Comins said. "These birds nest right on the ground so it's easy to step right on the eggs."

CT Audubon just released its 2020 State of the Birds report.

Each spring Comins says the group sends volunteers to coastal areas to put up fenced exclosures to protect the nesting Plovers but once lockdowns were implemented, the plans were interrupted.

"Because of social distance requirements and limitations by the state, we weren't able to get alot of those exclosures up early in the season."

Without the exclosures up the eggs and birds were exposed.

The American Oyster Catcher was another bird that saw its population negatively impacted in some beach areas.  

But the good news is, Comins said the populations of both birds should rebound easily. He hopes that as more people take advantage of the great outdoors and nature, they'll also take notice of all of the living things with which they come in contact.

"I think awareness is really important, keep an eye out for string fenced areas, areas that are closed," he said.

CT Audubon hopes to send volunteers out sometime in April to put up the exclosures to protect the nesting Plovers.