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Piping Plovers Rest On Indiana Beaches During Journey South

Indiana is truly the crossroads of America - not just for people, but also as a migratory stop for an endangered species of bird. 

There are about 75 pairs of Piping Plovers in the Great Lakes population and most of them nest in Michigan.

The adult Piping Plovers head south in July but new hatchlings are just now beginning their first migration.

They are flying to South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

Amy Kearns is the assistant nongame bird biologist for the Indiana DNR. She said the state’s beaches arethe perfect place for the birds to stop.

“To make such a long trip, it’s really important that they have the opportunity to refuel and rest, and to eat, that opportunity is so important because without it they could die on their trip,” Kearns said.

Piping Plovers will continue to migrate through Indiana until late August.

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Sara Wittmeyer is the News Bureau Chief for WFIU and WTIU. Sara has more than two decades of journalism experience. She led the creation of the converged WFIU/WTIU Newsroom in 2010 and previously served with KBIA at the University of Missouri, WNKU at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, KY, and at WCPO News in Cincinnati.