Ringed plovers nest on shingle beaches and are highly vulnerable to disturbance from beachgoers, dogs, and beach management activities during breeding season.
Ringed plover eggs and chicks crushed by walkers, cyclists, or beach cleaning vehicles experience acute death that is entirely preventable with simple management measures. Adults flushed from nests by disturbance leave eggs exposed to temperature extremes and predators. Nest scrapes are almost invisible and walkers often approach to within centimetres before the adult bird flushes. Chicks are mobile within hours of hatching but cannot fly for 24 days, remaining extremely vulnerable to disturbance throughout this period.