Foot and vehicular traffic may crush nests or young. Excessive disturbance may cause the parents to desert the nest, exposing eggs or chicks to the summer sun and predators. Interruption of feeding may stress juvenile birds during critical periods of their development. Pets, especially dogs, may harass the birds. Developments near beaches provide food that attracts increased numbers of predators such as raccoons, skunks, and foxes.
Cats are also predators of plover eggs and chicks.
Stormtides may inundate nests. The piping plover became a protected species under the ESA on January 10, 1986. Along the Atlantic Coast it is designated as threatened, which means that the population would continue to decline if not protected. The ESA provides penalties for taking, harassing or harming the piping plover and affords some protection to its habitat. Respect all areas fenced or posted for protection of wildlife.