The Chicago Piping Plovers group announced on April 14 that two banded piping plovers, Pippin and Imani, have returned to Montrose Beach. Bird watchers identified the birds at the popular birding spot on the city’s lakefront.
The arrival of these birds signals the beginning of another season for local bird enthusiasts, who follow the endangered shorebirds’ activities closely each spring. The group said that Pippin was first seen at Montrose Beach this year. He is a male bird who hatched on Cat Island in Green Bay in 2023 and has been observed in Chicago during previous summers. According to Chicago Piping Plovers, “He has a noticeable limp but is otherwise getting around Montrose’s protected dune area just fine.” The group noted that Pippin appears to be missing one foot, likely due to an incident last year when he left with something caught around his foot.
Shortly after Pippin’s arrival, observers also spotted Imani, a male piping plover known as the son of Monty and Rose. These two birds became well-known among local residents for their rare nesting activity at Montrose Beach starting in 2019. Monty died from a respiratory infection at the beach in 2022; Rose’s current whereabouts are unknown.
Monty and Rose inspired many people to visit Montrose Beach each spring hoping to see piping plovers return. Their presence also led to the formation of Chicago Piping Plovers—a collaboration between area birding societies dedicated to observing and protecting these birds along with their nests and chicks.
Last summer, Imani paired with Sea Rocket, resulting in four chicks; only one chick named Nagamo survived despite efforts by preservationists. In 2025, three more chicks—El, Bean and Ferris—were born; Ferris was killed by a hawk while El and Bean survived.
