In 2019, a Great Lakes Piping Plover arrived at a marshy island near Green Bay’s coast. Conservationists, unfamiliar with this particular bird, named her Ms. Packer and marked her with distinctive green and gold leg bands.
Over subsequent years, Ms. Packer became a cherished figure among birdwatchers while successfully raising offspring. She nested with a male named Vince and appeared in local television reports.
Tragically, Ms. Packer died earlier this month while apparently defending her chicks from a predator. Tom Prestby, Wisconsin conservation manager for Audubon Great Lakes, confirmed her identity through discovery of her uniquely banded remains by a monitor.
Prior to this summer, Ms. Packer had consistently returned to Green Bay annually, successfully raising 10 chicks during her nesting periods.
For conservationists, she represented the successful recovery of piping plover populations in Wisconsin. The species had dwindled to just 12 breeding pairs in 1990, but following four decades of dedicated conservation efforts, this summer recorded 85 breeding pairs across the Great Lakes region.
Plovers returned to Green Bay in 2016, with approximately five pairs nesting there annually, according to Prestby. The Apostle Islands serve as another primary nesting location in Wisconsin.
Ms. Packer’s passing concludes a difficult two-year period. In 2024, she only briefly visited Green Bay, causing concern among conservationists about her survival. However, she returned in time for the NFL draft this spring, constructing a nest on Cat Island. Unfortunately, predators claimed her chicks, prompting her relocation to Long Tail Point in Suamico.
“(She) overcame multiple challenges, including Memorial Day and Fourth of July weekends,” Prestby noted, referring to the increased human activity during these periods. Following the Fourth of July celebrations, Ms. Packer’s mate disappeared. Her new nest produced hatchlings before her death was discovered by Audubon staff, who monitor plovers for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Despite this loss, there remains positive news for the species. “This was quite a successful year for piping plovers breeding in Green Bay. We had 10 chicks fledge, which represents a strong outcome,” Prestby stated. “Certainly not everything was lost this year for Green Bay’s piping plovers.”
Most years, Ms. Packer nested on Cat Island, currently undergoing habitat restoration efforts aimed at rebuilding marshland at Green Bay’s southern end. The island sustained significant damage from storms in the 1970s.
This multi-decade restoration project utilizes sand dredged from a Port of Green Bay navigation channel. It aims to create over 270 acres of island habitat while protecting more than 1,000 acres of shallow bay and wetlands behind it.
As of Monday afternoon, a Facebook post announcing Ms. Packer’s passing had received hundreds of reactions. Audubon Great Lakes stated in their announcement: “While we hope new breeding plovers may eventually fill her role, Ms. Packer will be remembered as a conservation ambassador for Plover preservation in Lower Green Bay, located in the shadow of Lambeau Field.”