What should we name these love birds?

What should Onkaparinga Council name its longest-breeding pair of hooded plovers? VOTE IN OUR POLL.

Help us name these hooded plovers at Port Willunga. Picture: Sue and Ash Read

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It’s time to name Onkaparinga’s love birds.

The Messenger and Onkaparinga Council put a call out last week for suggestions on what to name a breeding pair of hooded plovers.

The birds – who have been together at Port Willunga for almost a decade – are currently known as “DP” (the female) and “HV” (the male) due to the codes on their tags.

However, the council thought the community could come up with names more befitting of their love story.

Hooded plover chick. Picture: Supplied.

The council received hundreds of suggestions and has narrowed it down to the top five male and female names for you to vote on.

Hooded plovers are a threatened species and chicks have a low chance of survival because they can’t fly for the first five weeks.

Hooded plover eggs on Seacliff Beach last year. Picture: Supplied

Despite being together longer than any other plover couple in Onkaparinga, none of DP and HV’s chicks born in the past three years have survived.

After suffering another loss in September, the pair has laid more eggs – due to hatch in mid-November – and bird-watchers have their fingers-crossed they will survive.

The council is urging the community to keep their dogs leashed while at the beach and to stay out of exclusion zones.

Regular breeding sites within the district include Moana Beach, Ochre Cove Beach, Maslin Beach, Port Willunga Beach, Aldinga Beach and Port Stanvac.