Beach Season Starts In The Rockaways For Endangered Baby Birds

ROCKAWAY BEACH, QUEENS — New Yorkers aren't the only ones heading to the Rockaways this weekend to celebrate the start of summer.

Tiny, newborn piping plovers are enjoying the fresh sand of Rockaway Beach, where they plan to spend the summer.

The endangered species is nesting between Beach 38th Street and Beach 57th Street, according to the NYC Parks Department. The agency is warning beachgoers to watch out for the tiny birds, which can be hard to spot with their sandy gray coloring.

Can you spot the piping plover? These newborn shorebirds are spending the summer on Rockaway Beach. They're super tiny, endangered, and hard to spot. Please help keep them safe by observing from a distance and staying clear of their nesting areas between B 38th St. and B 57th St. pic.twitter.com/gTpe7NcqBq
— NYC Parks (@NYCParks) May 24, 2019

The birds are regulars on Rockaway Beach, which they use as a nesting ground starting in March each year.

"Plovers, like most New Yorkers, prefer to spend their summer months by the shore," the city says. "It is not all fun and games for them though. Due to human-related habitat loss, the piping plovers are here searching for a safe place to start a family of their own as they attempt to save their species from extinction."

Click here to report a piping plover sighting to the city.