WELLS — Nine pairs of piping plovers have been sighted in Old Orchard Beach, and the town is asking beachgoers to give nesting birds their space. Eight pairs have been seen in the Town of Wells on four different beaches, four pairs on Ogunquit beach and there are more elsewhere in York County.

Piping plovers are tiny, sandy-colored shorebirds that the state lists as endangered and the federal government designates as threatened.

In colonial times, there were likely 200 pairs of plovers in the state, but the number of birds decreased as Maine became more developed and as erosion impacted the shoreline, said Lindsay Tudor, a shorebird biologist for the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.

She said as of May 7, there were nine adult pairs of piping plovers at Old Orchard Beach, with three active nests.

The birds have been on the increase locally in recent years, said Tudor. Last year there were also nine pairs of plovers in Old Orchard Beach, six pairs the year before, two in 2013, none for a few years, and a trend of one pair a year for about 10 years before that.

Tudor attributes the increase to the cooperation of the town and volunteers who monitor the birds, the beach-cleaning crew that gives the plovers their space, and considerate beachgoers who keep themselves and their dogs a safe distance from nesting areas.

Old Orchard Beach has had a management agreement since 2010 with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to protect piping plovers. The agreement sets guidelines from April 15 to Aug. 31, only when nesting activity is occurring. During nesting activity, the agreement discourages recreational activities within 100 feet of fenced-off plover nesting areas. Dogs must be kept at least 100 feet away. And under town ordinance, dogs are not allowed on the beach between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Wells also has a management agreement with the wildlife services as does Ogunquit. There is also an agreement with the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, which includes Ferry Beach in Saco.

Neither Kennebunk, which has eight piping plover pairs, nor Kennebunkport which has five pairs, Biddeford, which has three pairs and Saco, which has two, have agreements with the wildlife services.

The benefit of the agreements is that “we provide guidelines,” said Tudor, and assist beach communities in protecting the nesting birds. “It’s a way we can work together so we can avoid mortality” of the plovers, she said. “It’s a way to open up lines of communication so (communities) can help us help them.”

She said her agency also helps communities without agreements if they seek assistance.

Tudor attributes the increase in the piping plover population in Maine to increasing protection and raising awareness among the general public since about 2008. Also, areas were the birds winter, such as the Bahamas, South Carolina and Florida are increasing protection.

The effort seems to be working. In 2008, she said, there were only 24 pairs of piping plovers. Last year there were 62 pairs. As of last week there were 56 pairs, but that number is expected to increase as plovers are still arriving in Maine and pairing up.

The birds begin arriving in the end of March, said Tudor, most arrive in April and some are still arriving in May. The males arrive first and stake out a territory, she said. “The females aren’t far behind,” and it’s up to them to decide who they want to pair with.

“Within the next couple of weeks they should all be nesting and laying eggs,” Tudor said.

To safeguard the birds, she said, it’s important to keep dogs away from piping plover nesting areas, as dogs are predators of the tiny bird. Also, the birds may freeze when they feel threatened by activity and be camouflaged in the sand.

“They’re like marshmallows on sticks,” said Tudor. “They’re so tiny.”

People should fill up holes after digging in the sand, she said, as the chicks can get trapped in them and not be able to feed. Plovers must reach 60 percent of their adult weight by day 12 if they are to have a chance of survival, she said.

Maine Audubon also suggests taking garbage and food scraps off the beach as it attracts predators that may prey upon plover chicks or eggs.

Anyone who sees plover nests outside fenced-in areas should call Maine Audubon or the municipality they see them in.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@ journaltribunecom. Associate Editor Dina Mendros contributed to this story.