The number of piping plovers nesting on Maine beaches this year broke the record number set in 2023.

Officials will continue to observe plovers throughout the rest of the summer as chicks continue to hatch and become fledglings.

Due to human actions, such as marked nesting sites and support from the Maine Audubon, the population of piping plovers has greatly increased since 1981, when fewer than 10 pairs of nesting plovers were counted.

Beachgoers can help protect plover populations by being mindful of the birds and chicks when they are running around on the shoreline.

You can help prevent the birds from leaving their nests by avoiding flying kites near marked areas, or areas where you may observe nesting pairs. Piping plovers may interpret the kites as predators, and will leave their nests to try to distract the assumed predator, according to the Maine Audubon.

If you see a hole that has been dug in the sand, it is advised to fill in the hole so eggs or newly hatched chicks do not get trapped in them.

It is important to keep in mind that once the chicks hatch, they often roam across beaches in search of food. If a chick feels threatened, it will freeze in order to help camouflage itself. Beachgoers may mistake this self-defense mechanism as an indication that the chick is injured or needs help — but picking them up can cause irreversible damage, and is discouraged.