A Great Lakes piping plover. (Vince Cavalieri / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Fans of Monty and Rose can now rest easy knowing that both of Chicago’s beloved piping plovers have been spotted at their winter homes in the southern U.S.
Monty’s whereabouts were confirmed last week when he arrived in Texas after an incredible two-day 1,000-mile journey, but Rose’s location remained up in the air until Friday, when plover monitors confirmed a sighting of her in Anclote Key, Florida.
According to a report shared by members of Audubon Florida with Chicago plover monitors, Rose is hanging out with 10 other plovers, including a couple from Vermont. Anclote Key, situated in the Gulf of Mexico northwest of Tampa, forms part of a nearly 12,000-acre state preserve.
Though Monty and Rose spend their winters hundreds of miles apart, the couple remarkably reunite each spring in Chicago within days of each other.
The pair’s two surviving 2021 chicks, Imani and Siewka, are presumably migrating south as well, with neither of the youngsters having been seen at Montrose Beach in recent days. In plover families, the female adult leaves the nest first. The male’s departure is followed by that of the chicks when they’re strong enough to make the long journey south.
@RosePlover safely and successfully completed her fall migration! She was spotted at her usual wintering location in Anclote Key, FL. A big thank you to the staff of @AudubonFL and @FLStateParks for identifying and reporting her whereabouts.
Photo: Ally Kristan pic.twitter.com/XkmR66SnvG— Chicago Piping Plovers (@ChicagoPiping) August 27, 2021
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
