Science & Nature
Chicago Piping Plover Chick Ferris Was Killed Over the Weekend
A young Ferris, before the Montrose chicks had even received their names. (Courtesy Chicago Piping Plovers)
Chicago piping plover monitors had been celebrating one of the most successful breeding seasons at Montrose Beach since the endangered birds first returned in 2019 when tragedy struck over the weekend.
Ferris, one of three chicks hatched at Montrose in 2025, was killed by a red-tailed hawk midday Saturday, according to Chicago Piping Plovers.
“Our little plover had a full six weeks at Montrose, especially loving the pier inlet. Ferris will be missed and will always be remembered,” the group shared on social media.
The name Ferris had been chosen from submissions as a nod to both the Ferris Wheel, which debuted at Chicago’s famed World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, and the title character in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
The other two chicks, Bean and El, weren’t present at Montrose when the attack occurred. They have since been confirmed safe at Chicago’s 63rd Street beach as they continue to prepare for their first southern migration.
The chicks had all been honing their flight skills in recent weeks, with Bean being the most adventurous, according to monitors. The chicks’ papa, Imani, set off on his own migration July 25.
The loss of Ferris serves as a reminder of the many hazards endangered Great Lakes piping plovers face throughout their life cycle, be it during nesting season, migration or at their wintering sites.
In one bit of bright news, Waukegan’s piping plover monitors just received word that their own patriarch, Pepper, has been confirmed at his winter home of Bunche Beach, a preserve near Ft. Myers, Florida, some 1,400 miles away from Lake County.
“Pepper left Waukegan around July 17th so we were a bit worried,” Lake County’s plover monitors posted to social media. “It was a huge relief to finally get photos & videos of our gorgeous plover!”
Contact Patty Wetli: [email protected]
