Imani’s piping – A week after hatching, Chicago’s piping plover chicks are thriving on Montrose Beach despite last week’s severe weather, with Father’s Day celebrated alongside the work of both parents and the 115-person monitoring team.
A week after hatching, Chicago’s newest piping plovers are thriving on Montrose Beach—week-old chicks the monitors have been guarding since they entered the world.
Monday will mark one week since Imani and Sea Rocket’s four hatchlings were born. For days, a team of 115 monitors has been keeping watch in all conditions, sticking out rain or shine along the shoreline as the birds grow.
Last week, there was concern that severe weather could have hurt the young plovers. Itani said the hatchlings fared well, protected by their mother as rain rolled in for hours. Through that stretch, she shielded the chicks.
The next major milestone is day 23, when the group considers the birds fully fledged—even if they haven’t actually begun to fly. For these four, that target day is July 8. Before then, the young plovers will start looking up for predators and relying less on their parents each day.
“Even within the first week, you’ll see them extending their wings and then eventually a little hop,” lead plover monitor Tamima Itani said. “It’s very cute.”
Sunday happened to be Father’s Day. Itani framed the holiday as a chance to celebrate plover dads, too. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs, and then later watching and brooding the chicks in their early days. As the weeks go by. Itani said plover dads often take on more of the day-to-day care. a pattern that shows up across shorebirds.
There’s also a personal reason the story lingers for her. Last year. Itani said her favorite memory came when she watched Imani lead his chicks in a 100-yard flight between one end of the pier and one end of the beach. The birds were already capable of flying on their own, she said, but he was pushing them to go farther.
“It was flight school basically,” Itani said. “He was encouraging them to venture a little bit farther.”
Soon, the chicks will get names as well. Submissions for the naming contest close at 7 p.m. Sunday, and as of Saturday night there were already 350 entries. A selection committee has been choosing the chicks’ names since 2021, and Itani said it is trying to keep the names connected to Chicago.
Her favorite so far is Nagamo, which is Ojibwe for “they sing,” a fit for plovers known for their singing.
“Some names bubble up for everybody [on the committee], but all the names have been fabulous,” Itani said.
Even at this early stage, the public presence is steady. Itani said there have been consistently 15 to 20 visitors at the beach asking monitors to help them spot the birds. She said a couple from India stopped by during their trip to the city on Saturday. and that the beach also draws visitors from farther downstate.
Visitors are asked to stay behind ropes set up at the nearby pier to keep distance from the birds, and to pick up trash on the beach if they see any. Itani said the community has been doing its part.
“I just have to say how wonderful people have been; visitors have been super cooperative and respectful,” she said. “People really come to Montrose to see them. It’s an activity and a community.”
piping plover Montrose Beach Chicago Father’s Day Tamima Itani Imani Sea Rocket wildlife conservation
A week old chicks and they’re already surviving? Nature is wild.
So Father’s Day was basically for plover dads too, huh. I saw “severe weather” and thought they were gonna all die, so glad that wasn’t the case. Also 115 monitors sounds like way too many people for tiny birds lol.
Wait Imani is the mom or the dad? They keep saying both parents but then like “piping plovers” and “shielded the chicks” and I’m just lost. If they can’t fly til July 8 then what are they doing all day, just hopping around? Sounds like a lot of babysitting for birds that still can’t even fly.
I wish humans cared this much about the beach when it comes to pollution. 115 people monitoring?? Meanwhile my neighborhood has trash blowing everywhere. Also Father’s Day at Montrose Beach makes it sound like the birds are doing fireworks or something, but it’s just survival and rain… still kinda sweet though.