Thanks to our brave volunteer Michelle, this Masked Lapwing (Plover) family was safely reunited! 👩‍🦰💛 It’s plover season, and these devoted parents are just doing what any of us would do - protecting their young. During incubation (28–30 days), they can be extra defensive, but remember: ❗ We do NOT remove or relocate plover eggs ❗ There’s no safe way to “move them on” ❗ They are Australian natives protected by law ❗ Their spurs are not poisonous and rarely make contact - they’re a last resort

Piping Plover doing its signature foot tapping dance. The vibrations bring worms and invertebrates to the surface to make them easier to catch. I’ve posted this behavior before, but it doesn’t get old for me. They’re so fun to watch. A few other shorebirds are known to do a similar move, but for me this is a trademark of the Piping Plover. | NC Bird Watch

Semipalmated Plover Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Tiny piping plover shorebird population makes comeback after decades of conservation efforts

Parents And Baby Chicks in The Lapwing Birds Family in natural avian habitat market use. Crested shorebird behavior, nesting ground, meadow, black white plumage suit buyers. lapwing, bird, shorebird, meadow, habitat Stock Video Footage - Alamy

Nesting Birds – Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)