Bellarine Peninsula beachgoers have again been reminded to play their part in looking out for the endangered hooded plover.
Hooded plovers hatch along beaches in Victoria, including Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads and are vulnerable as chicks don’t fly until they are five weeks old.
They are often killed by dogs, cats, gulls, horses and humans before they fledge.
The Conservation Regulator, Parks Victoria and BirdLife Australia have joined forces for the second year running for Operation Save our Hoodies (SoHo), asking Victorians to take note of rules around local hooded plover nests and to give the birds plenty of space.
Hooded plovers lay their eggs in shallow sand scrapes from August through to March and where possible nesting sites are fenced off to alert the public and protect the tiny birds and their nests.
Conservation Regulator and Parks Victoria authorised officers are patrolling beaches in Portland, Port Fairy, Warrnambool, Apollo Bay, Anglesea, Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove to protect the threatened species, and Birdlife Australia volunteers also have a presence at beaches to raise awareness of how beach users can help the plight of beach-nesting birds.
In 2021-22, as part of the inaugural SoHo, authorised officers conducted more than 150 patrols along the coast, engaging with 900 people and issuing 44 infringement notices for various offences, including dogs off lead.
Last breeding season BirdLife recorded 1003 hooded plover eggs along Victoria’s coastline. Only 185 hatched and 66 chicks survived to become juveniles.
“You can help these precious birds raise their families by steering clear of signed and fenced nesting areas and following local dog regulations,” BirdLife Australia Coastal Birds Project Officer Dr Daniel Lees said.
