Update on Piping Plovers at Wasaga Beach

Earlier this spring, the Town of Wasaga Beach was proud to announce the return of two Piping Plovers to one of Ontario’s most beloved summer destinations. Since then, this pair established a nest, four eggs were laid, three chicks hatched, and a third adult plover dropped in for a visit. These are all important milestones for a species that remains endangered in Canada.

This nesting attempt brought together a strong network of stewardship support. The Town worked closely with Ontario Parks, Birds Canada, local volunteers, and other conservation partners to help monitor the nesting area, support protective measures, share information with the public, and encourage responsible use of the beachfront. Residents and visitors also played an important role by respecting fenced areas, following posted signage, giving the birds space, and helping create a safer environment for nesting wildlife.

Did you know? This year’s nesting season got off to a slow start due to chilly temperatures, but across the Great Lakes, the number of breeding pairs is running on par with 2025’s record-setting year, according to Great Lakes Piping Plover Recovery Effort. In Ontario, a total of 30 individual Piping Plovers have been observed this year, including three at Wasaga Beach.

While this season was encouraging, the Town is also sharing a difficult update. Sadly, one adult Piping Plover and the three newly hatched chicks did not survive. This outcome followed a period of rain and high winds on Sunday evening. Throughout the week, regular monitoring had also identified a number of large birds of prey in the area.

After reviewing daily monitoring data and consulting with Birds Canada, the Town understands that weather conditions and predator presence were both potential factors in this difficult outcome. Piping Plovers are small, ground-nesting shorebirds, and their eggs and chicks are especially vulnerable to natural threats, including rain, high winds, high water, and predators. Even with strong stewardship measures in place, not every risk can be prevented.

The Town extends its sincere thanks to our stewardship partners, Town staff, volunteers, residents, visitors, and all those who supported this year’s protection efforts. This work made a meaningful difference. The return of the pair, the establishment of a nest, the laying of four eggs, and the hatching of three chicks are all significant moments in the broader recovery story of Piping Plovers on the Great Lakes. Across the Great Lakes, recovery partners are reporting a record-setting 90 nesting pairs in 2026, underscoring both the progress being made and the continued importance of local stewardship at nesting sites across Ontario, Michigan, and the wider Great Lakes region.

While this concludes the 2026 nesting season at Wasaga Beach, we are now looking to other sites across the province and Great Lakes, including:

• Ontario: Saugeen Beach (formerly Sauble Beach), Long Point, Darlington and Presqu’ile Provincial Parks
• Illinois: 2 nests again this year, 1 at Montrose Beach in Chicago and 1 along the Waukegan shoreline. 
• Wisconsin and Michigan: 34 broods hatched and 46 nests still being incubated (11 additional nests lost).

Michigan remains the centre of the Great Lakes population, with the greatest concentration at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Here in Wasaga Beach, local stewardship efforts will continue beyond this nesting season—including more training for municipal staff, more educational and interpretive signage being designed and installed along the beachfront and critical habitat area, and exciting new initiatives that will engage local schools and students in learning about Piping Plovers, coastal ecosystems, and the role everyone can play in protecting sensitive shoreline habitat.

This season strengthened community awareness and demonstrated what is possible when conservation partners, municipal staff, volunteers, residents, and visitors work together. The care shown by Council, staff, partners, volunteers, residents, and visitors is something our community can be proud of.

The Town will continue to lead this important stewardship work.

Residents and visitors can continue to help by respecting the Town’s beach bylaw, posted signage and fenced areas; keeping dogs leashed and off the sand at Beach Areas 1 and 2; giving wildlife space; and following the guidance of stewardship staff and volunteers.

While this season ended with a difficult loss, it also showed the strength of local stewardship, the value of collaboration, and the Town’s commitment to protecting the natural heritage of our shoreline.

 Karla Findlay
Special Projects Leader
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Sandra Watts
General Manager of External Relations | Director of Communications, Destination Marketing & Intergovernmental Affairs
Email Sandra