As piping plovers face another peril, this time oil, Hilton Head residents organize multinational bird count

Oil from the massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico could threaten some winter habitat of the endangered piping plover -- bringing new urgency to a plan by Hilton Head Island area birdists to count the birds in less threatened areas.

Members of the Hilton Head Island Audubon Society are trying to team up with conservationists on the isle of Andros in the Bahamas to make a complete count of birds there -- an effort which could help scientists understand why the plover has failed to thrive over the past several years.

That effort, which society members say will cost $30,000 for equipment, training and travel expenses, could take on increased importance if the oil spill destroys habitats in the Gulf, said society member Howard Costa.

The Bahamian islands could become the "anchor for the survival of the species," he said.

There are only 8,000 of the birds left in the world, and they are split among two populations -- an inland population that travels from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast, and a coastal population that travels from Canada to places like Hilton Head and the Bahamas,said Matt Jeffery, senior program manager of the National Audubon Society's international alliance program.

The inland population of plover will make its way to the Gulf in a few weeks, and once they arrive, "they'll run along the beach, look for insects and get oil on their feet and their wings,"said Michael Fry, director of conservation advocacy for the American Bird Conservancy, based in Washington, D.C.

BP is spending $10 million to flood fields along the shoreline to discourage the birds from landing on the oily beaches, but it won't be known for months if that deterred them, he said.

But even in places like Hilton Head that are unsullied by oil, the species faces threats to its survival, Costa said.

The bird -- a small creature that nests near the shoreline and picks through wet sand for its food with a short, pointy beak -- can be trampled by dogs on the beach and beach-goers who unwittingly stomp its wintering grounds, Costa said.

Hilton Head Island Audubon members have worked with town officials for several years to ensure the safety of the bird's habitats on the island's heel by monitoring bird numbers, he said.

The habitat there also faces a natural threat from rapid erosion that has taken place during the last five years, Costa said.

The town has to build back the beach there, said town public projects director Scott Liggett. Crews are aware of the bird and will take efforts to protect it while the beach is renourished.