As New Hampshire prepares for the Fourth of July, many residents and visitors are gearing up for a busy holiday weekend at the beach. But this past spring, there has been a notable absence at Hampton Beach: fireworks. The decision to cancel these celebrations isn’t arbitrary. It’s a deliberate step to protect one of the state’s most vulnerable wildlife species: the piping plover.

An Endangered Species Nesting on the Seacoast

The piping plover is a tiny shorebird found along the Atlantic Coast. Measuring just 6 to 7½ inches long, it is easy to miss, and that’s part of the problem. Its sandy plumage blends in perfectly with the beach, making its nests and chicks extremely difficult to spot.

Listed as endangered in New Hampshire and threatened under federal law, the piping plover’s nesting sites are legally protected. It is unlawful to disturb, harm, or harass the birds in any way. In New Hampshire, these birds nest exclusively on the sandy stretches of Hampton and Seabrook beaches, laying their eggs in shallow sand just above the high tide line.

Their nesting season begins in early spring, when the birds return from their wintering grounds in the southern U.S. and Caribbean. From March through August, plovers are actively nesting, incubating, and raising their chicks. This timeframe is when they are especially vulnerable to disturbance.

Why Fireworks Are a Threat

While fireworks are a time honored tradition for the Fourth of July, they pose a significant threat to nesting piping plovers. The loud, unpredictable explosions can startle adult plovers off their nests, leaving eggs and chicks exposed to predators and harsh environmental conditions. Repeated disturbances can lead to nest abandonment or chick mortality due to cold, overheating, or lack of feeding.

Even smaller scale, unauthorized fireworks set off by beachgoers can have devastating effects. Chicks are highly mobile within hours of hatching and rely on their parents for guidance and protection. Startled by fireworks, adult plovers may flee the area, leaving chicks to wander into danger or become separated. In addition to direct disturbance, fireworks can spark fires that destroy dune vegetation, which is a critical part of the birds’ nesting habitat.

A Conservation Effort Decades in the Making

According to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, piping plovers were widely hunted for their feathers prior to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, as their feathers were highly sought after by the fashion industry. Though hunting was outlawed, their numbers have continued to decline due to human activity along the coast. It has been especially affected by beachfront development, recreational pressure, and predation.

Piping plovers disappeared from New Hampshire entirely for many years, until a jogger spotted nesting birds on Hampton Beach in 1996. Since then, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program has led a coordinated effort to protect the species through the Piping Plover Project.

Each spring, conservation staff erect temporary fencing around suitable nesting areas and post signage to inform the public. A seasonal Plover Monitor is employed full time during the breeding season to track nesting pairs, coordinate beach management, and educate the public. In high-risk areas, special predator exclosures are placed around nests to deter foxes, skunks, and other threats without hindering access for the adult birds. Canopies are also put in place over nests to deter avian predators.

Volunteers play a key role in monitoring the chicks after hatching, especially as they move between the dunes and shoreline to feed on insects, worms, and small crustaceans.

Guidelines to Follow

The cancellation of the Hampton Beach fireworks display is a proactive move to protect piping plovers at a critical time in their life cycle. Visitors to New Hampshire beaches are urged to:

Stay out of fenced areas and heed all signs. Even walking too close to a nest may cause plovers to flee. View the birds and their chicks from a safe distance.

Leave pets at home. Dogs are not permitted in nesting areas and are perceived as predators by plovers. Cats also pose a serious threat to the birds.

Fill in sand holes. Chicks can fall in and become trapped.

Fly kites and drones away from nesting zones. These objects mimic aerial predators like hawks and owls.

Pick up all trash and avoid feeding gulls.

Respect fireworks bans. Fireworks are prohibited at Hampton Beach State Park and Seabrook Beach.

Report violations or suspicious activity.

How You Can Help

The Piping Plover Project relies heavily on community support. Donations to the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program provide critical funding and allow the program to qualify for state and federal matching grants. To learn more, visit The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department website.

If you’re interested in volunteering or contributing to the protection of this species, contact Brendan Clifford at the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program: 

Brendan.J.Clifford@wildlife.nh.gov
603-271-0463