Fleurieu beachgoers are being asked to share their feedback on Hooded Plover nesting signage in a short survey.

Birdlife Australia  is particularly interested in hearing from people who walk dogs on local beaches.

The survey about signage erected around Hooded Plover nesting sites is part of a broader project funded by the federal government’s National Landcare Program.

It is for people aged 18 and above and is is aimed at dog walkers who use beaches where Hooded Plovers are nesting and where there are signed and fenced protection zones for birds with nests or chicks.

The purpose of the research is to explore the effectiveness of signs around nesting areas and whether they assist bird survival and breeding success.

The survey should take around five minutes to complete online.

Hooded Plovers are a beach-nesting species, exclusively dependent on coastal habitats and are sparsely distributed across beaches in Southern Australia. 

They are non-migratory and breed in Australia, and poor breeding success is the key driver of population decline.

Hooded Plover chicks are extremely vulnerable and they need to move up and down the beach and along the water’s edge to find food. 

If a threat comes along, for example, an off-leash dog or a fox, they cannot fly away to escape.

For more information about beach-nesting birds, visit the Birdlife Australia website.