Love is in the air ….for Yorke Peninsula's hooded plovers

News article | 16 September 2026

Happy Plover Appreciation Day is September 16.

Love is in the air ….for Yorke Peninsula's hooded plovers

Tail bobbing. Wing flicking. A little twirl on the sand. Is it dancing? Researchers think it could be part of hooded plover courtship behaviour.

Spring isn't just bringing warmer weather to Yorke Peninsula beaches. The romance is heating up …and so are the signature dancefloors moves.

It’s certainly the right time of year.

Plover loving

These endangered beach-nesting birds are now in breeding season.

They lay their eggs in shallow scrapes on our beaches between August and March – which means they are nesting on the beach during the busiest time of year.

Their nests are not much more than a little dent in the dry sand at the base of the dunes, and so the eggs blend into the sand. While this helps hide them from predators, it also makes them hard for beach-goers to see – which makes it easy for them to be accidentally crushed.

The plover parents take turns sitting on the nest, but will leave it if disturbed or threatened by vehicles, dogs, humans, foxes and other predators. Their eggs may also be washed away by storms or stolen by predators.

In these uncertain times of algae bloom and bird flu, the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board say that now more than ever we need to give theses endangered birds the best chance of facing these threats.

“When hoodie chicks first hatch, they are no bigger than a 50 cent piece,” says Janet Moore from the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board.

“Adult hoodies have a black ‘hood’, hence the name. Chicks develop theirs over time,” says Janet Moore from the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board.

“The fluffy chicks remain flightless for up to five weeks, making them especially vulnerable during some of the busiest months on the coast.

“So if you're heading to the beach this spring and summer, you can help by:

✅ Walk below the high tide line

✅ Keep dogs on a leash, when fencing and signs are up

✅ Give birds and chicks plenty of space.”

Janet says that during breeding season, volunteers spend countless hours monitoring nests, installing signs and helping beachgoers share the shoreline with these remarkable little birds.

She is one of the many signed up to the Friends of the Hooded Plover Yorke Peninsula Facebook page, which is a great resource to learn more and get involved in locally run beach wildlife initiatives.

“There is one coming up in Moonta in a couple of weeks' time - on Saturday October 3,” says Janet.

“If you are in the area come along for the free sausage sizzle hosted by Birdlife, the Friends of the Hooded Plover Yorke Peninsula and the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board. It is a day of family fun and a chance to see birds up close and learn more about local conservation.