Ringed Plover Project

Protecting our Plovers. The last chance for breeding Ringed Plovers in Cornwall.

Ringed Plovers were once common around Britain’s shores. Since the 1800s, breeding numbers have declined massively. The Isles of Scilly is one of the last few remaining outputs, with the next closest being 170 miles away in Dorset.

“Last season's study recorded 13 breeding pairs across Scilly... and gave us more insight into the potential causes of the visible decline in breeding pairs across the islands.”

Community efforts: Plover Ambassadors

Our Plover ambassadors are a team of volunteers across the off-islands, who are passionate about protecting and monitoring the Ringed Plovers. Last year we were supported by 6 regular volunteers in total, based on St Agnes and St Martins who contributed to the project by providing updates on the progress of nests and distributing signs and Plover priority maps.

As one of the smallest Wildlife Trusts in the UK, Volunteers - or Plover Ambassadors - are crucial for the future success of the project. With plans to develop this project over the coming years, there is a need for additional support when it comes to deploying trail cameras, conducting both nest and chick checks and setting up cordons to allow capacity for community engagement events and other research opportunities.

With this project set to expand next year, the goal is to encourage the recruitment of volunteers from the local community, directly connecting them with conservation projects on their own islands

The current Ringed Plover population

This years monitoring efforts are underway, identifying the preferred beaches for breeding Ringed Plovers. Check out our map for locations to be extra careful and vigilant for nests while you’re out walking. The best thing you can do to help encourage this increasingly rare breeding bird, is give them plenty of space when you see a nest, or a cordoned area; and make sure to keep dogs on leads, and children close when you’re on a breeding site beach.