Piping Plover

It is the third-straight season Great Lakes piping plovers Monty and Rose have successfully nested along the lakefront in Chicago.

After the much-hyped return of Monty and Rose, birders and photographers flocked to the lakefront to get a look. Now the area is fenced off so the couple can find a nesting place.

Rose spent the winter in Anclote Key, Florida. Monty was spotted in Texas. But the endangered birds reunited in Chicago. "It's very exciting," one local birder said.

Rose, one half of the beloved Great Lakes piping plover pair with her mate Monty, has returned to Montrose Beach after wintering in the south.

The Park District has approved a measure adding 3 acres of beach space favored by the piping plovers to the Montrose Dune Natural Area.

Chicago's favorite bird couple, Monty and Rose, are likely to nest again at Montrose Beach. Here's how you can help prepare for their return.

Piping plovers have summered in Chicago while migrating. But a new "micro-documentary" tells the story of one plover who stayed in town through January.

The endangered piping plovers have chosen a sliver of Montrose Beach as their yearly nesting ground. The space should be added to the nearby dunes natural area, conservationists say.

People submitted more than 300 names for the chicks, and the winners were revealed Saturday. Hazel's name honors Hazel Johnson, an environmental activist known for her work on the South Side.

Suggested names for Monty and Rose's new chicks must reflect Chicago's "heritage, culture and diversity," according to the birder group.

New videos show the adorable baby plovers.

It's the second consecutive year Monty and Rose have successfully nested at Montrose Beach.

The four piping plover eggs could hatch by mid-June.

The birds' nesting efforts could be boosted because the lakefront is closed to the public.

Chicago's lakefront closure could be greatly beneficial to the endangered bird species.

Events to celebrate Piping Plover Day will be held in Uptown, South Shore and Lincoln Square.

A new documentary on the fight to save the rare piping plovers will debut on Nov. 18, which is now Piping Plover Day in Illinois.

Uptown resident and lifelong birder Bob Dolgan said the film will hopefully debut in the fall.

For the first time since 1955, Chicago has successfully fledged two piping plover chicks. People from all different backgrounds pulled together to protect them, one watcher said.

Their mother, Rose, has already flown south, and father, Monty, is expected to leave Montrose Beach any day now.