News Release

Piping Plovers Fledge 53 Chicks

Plover hatchling

NPS Photo

News Release Date: August 20, 2019

Contact: Daphne Yun, 7188153651

Highlands, N.J. – Thanks to the shared stewardship of Gateway’s visitors, plovers at Sandy Hook have had another successful breeding season. Forty one nesting plover pairs fledged 53 chicks this year.

Plovers have been on the federal endangered species list since 1986.  Over the last 10 years Sandy Hook has consistently supported 40-50 % of the N.J. nesting plover pairs. Of the 145 chicks that fledged in NJ in 2018, 59 were from Sandy Hook nests.

About Gateway National Recreation Area

Gateway is a large diverse urban park with 27,000 acres spanning Sandy Hook in N.J. and Jamaica Bay and Staten Island in N.Y. It offers green spaces, beaches, wildlife and outdoor recreation, all alongside historic structures and cultural landscapes. It is the 4^th most visited National Park Service unit with more than 9.2 million annual visitors. For more information about Gateway, visit www.nps.gov/gate.