Plover Appreciation Day is celebrated today, 16 September 2026, to raise awareness for vulnerable ground-nesting birds, such as hooded plovers, piping plovers, and masked lapwings, which face major threats from human activity and habitat disruption.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania is urging people to practice tolerance and understanding towards masked lapwings, also known as plovers, particularly during the breeding season.
All our birds are particularly vulnerable while we have H5 bird flu in Tasmania. Let’s do all we can to help protect them, especially during breeding season.
NRE Tas Senior Wildlife Management Officer Robbie Gaffney said despite their fierce reputation, plovers are simply exhibiting parental behaviour to safeguard their eggs and chicks.
“Plovers are often misunderstood. Their swooping and loud warning calls are usually in response to perceived threats when people unknowingly venture too close to their nests,” Robbie said.
“Swooping can be close and intimidating, it’s a threat display and the birds do not intend to strike. Collisions usually occur when the birds ‘over commit’ or people throw up their arms in defence.”
Robbie said a swooping plover is often a signal that you are intruding on the bird’s nesting area.
“The recommended response is to calmly walk away to avoid further agitating the birds. If you can’t avoid a nesting area, carrying an umbrella can help, as plovers are more likely to swoop at the umbrella rather than at you directly,” he said.
We are right in breeding season for plovers, which typically spans late winter to early spring. Once the eggs hatch and the chicks are mobile, the adult birds will move them to less disturbed areas.
The incubation period lasts between 28-30 days, the adults are most protective during the final two weeks of incubation and the first week after the chick’s hatch.
Robbie advises a good way to mitigate conflicts is to adopt predictable behaviour around nesting sites.
“Use the same pathways for walking to help plovers become accustomed to human presence, decreasing their need to defend their nests aggressively. It is also recommended to safely establish a barrier around nests with at least a 10m diameter,” he said.
“Understanding the behaviour of plovers and respecting their need for space can foster peaceful coexistence.”
These birds are protected under the Nature Conservation Act 2002 and the Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulations 2021.