Four piping plover chicks hatched on Tuesday at Montrose Beach, continuing a line that began with Sea Rocket and Imani. Monitors say the birds can move and feed right away, but survival depends on uninterrupted feeding—especially during a weather threat. The g
On Tuesday morning at Montrose Beach, four piping plover chicks arrived in the world with a burst of speed that still surprises even the people watching them closely.
Plover monitors say the chicks hatched on the beach and could carry the family line of Sea Rocket and Imani forward by one more generation. Tamima Itani. a lead plover monitor. said the new hatchlings can feed themselves and move around on their own right away—though they can’t regulate body temperature and often stay near a parent because of it.
“It’s remarkable how much they can do for themselves right out of the gate,” Itani said. “But the survival of the chicks is entirely dependent on their ability to feed. And when people get close, they stop feeding and run into vegetation to hide.”
Itani said she has enjoyed watching the day-old chicks run along the beach. Still, Wednesday’s forecast for severe weather has shifted the day’s mood. “I’ll be honest, I’m worried about the weather,” she said.
The monitors are asking the public to help protect the chicks during their most vulnerable early hours. They want people to give the birds some distance, pick up their trash, and keep dogs on leashes outside the designated area at Montrose Beach.
A community naming contest is planned for the young birds, though organizers have not announced details yet.
This latest hatch adds another chapter to a story that has become a kind of local wildlife legend in Chicago. Monitors say Imani is the son of plover couple Monty and Rose. who nested at Montrose Beach seven years ago and joined the pantheon of famed Chicago animals. Sea Rocket. who was reared in captivity. was released at the same beach in July 2023—two years after Imani hatched there.
Last summer, Imani and Sea Rocket had three chicks. Monitors say Ferris was killed by a hawk, while El and Bean survived. Nagamo was the only chick from the couple’s four eggs hatched in 2024 to survive.
The species itself has a longer arc of survival. Piping plovers nearly went extinct in the Great Lakes region and have been on the federal endangered species list for 40 years. Conservation work across the Great Lakes—initially in Michigan—has helped rebuild the population.
This year, monitors say they are aware of 90 plover pairs across the Great Lakes, up from the previous record of 88 last year. Itani said that growth is bringing the birds closer to the possibility of coming off the endangered list.
“It’s been extremely rewarding to see the overall numbers grow in the Great Lakes,” Itani said. “We’re definitely progressing.”
piping plover Montrose Beach Chicago animals endangered species Great Lakes conservation Tamima Itani Sea Rocket Imani