OREGON, Ohio — Some sad news out of Maumee Bay State Park as one of the four endangered Piping Plover chicks has died.
Black Swamp Bird Observatory Executive Director Kimberly Kaufman issued a statement confirming his death.
"Today we are faced with the sharpness of a reality that has lurked in the shadows of that joy. Tuesday morning, our volunteers were unable to find Kickapoo. After extensive searching, some twist of fate led them to search an area of Cove 4 one last time. It was there that they found signs of predation. We confirmed that the remains were of a Piping Plover. The few signs they found indicate that the predator was a mink, but we can't say for sure."
Kaufman says something like this isn't unexpected but is heartbreaking nonetheless.
"Please, try not to think of this as a failure," she said. "We did absolutely all that we could to give the birds their best chance for survival. This is the sharp reality that nature is not always beautiful. Nature often seems raw and cruel, and far too intense for mere humans to understand, especially under these circumstances."
The volunteers at the park will now try to focus on the three remaining chicks, Erie, Ottawa, and Maumee, who will likely begin their journey south soon.
The chicks gained national and international attention after their parents, Nellie and Nish, decided to make Maumee Bay their temporary home earlier this summer.
This is the first time in 83 years a pair of plovers have been seen nesting in Ohio.