SCARBOROUGH, Maine (AP)   Maine wildlife biologists say conservation programs and state partnerships helped more than 100 piping plover chicks fledge in the state last year.

The piping plover is a shorebird that is on the state endangered species list and is listed as threatened at the federal level. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife says southern Maine beaches hosted 64 nesting pairs last year and 102 chicks fledged.

The department says it was the third year in a row in which there were more than 60 pairs and 100 chicks. It says funding from programs such as the state’s Chickadee Checkoff played a role in growing the plover population.

The checkoff program helps pay for research and management of piping plovers. The state says the work of volunteers was also key