A piping plover chick at Montrose Beach in Chicago has died, the Chicago Piping Plovers group announced. The chick, named Mavis, was one of four that hatched in mid-June to parents Sea Rocket and Imani.

The Great Lakes piping plovers are a federally endangered species, and Chicagoans have made significant efforts to protect the birds at Montrose and help grow their population.

Imani and Sea Rocket have been nesting and rearing chicks for several years at Montrose. Last year, one of their chicks, Ferris, was killed by a hawk, but the other two survived.

There are about 80 pairs of Great Lakes piping plovers in the Great Lakes region, according to the Chicago Piping Plovers group. Birding groups have repeatedly warned that observers should keep their distance and pick up their trash to ensure the birds’ safety.

Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.