Developer's son fined $718 after being caught in 'disgusting' act on vacant lot

A Queensland property developer’s son has been caught in 4K driving over a clutch of baby plover birds and fined $718 for the callous act.

Investigations were sparked in October last year when a neighbour, Hayley, heard the commotion while playing with her kids on her back deck.

"We could hear the plovers absolutely screaming. I know they're a noisy bird, but this pair was clearly disturbed," she told Yahoo News Australia.

After noticing the ute go off-road and onto the dirt, she began to suspect he was "up to something" and pulled out her phone to film.

"He was driving around quite erratically, and the ordeal itself went on for about two hours," Hayley said.

She alleges the man spent time driving after the parents after he'd killed the chicks, but she decided to stop filming and call the RSPCA.

What does the video show?

Shot from a distance, the video shows the man lining up his massive dual cab ute with a native plover nest which was located in a vacant Brisbane lot marked for development.

The plover parents can be heard crying out as the man drives forward crushing the defenceless hatchlings beneath his tyres.

"That's disgusting," Hayley can be heard saying behind the camera as the ute continues to repeatedly drive backwards and forwards over the nest.

Developer's son admits he wanted the birds to move

After the minute-long video was sent to Queensland Parks and Wildlife and the RSPCA, the man responsible admitted he wanted the birds to move.

“During interviews with the man, he admitted he wanted to move the birds on from the vacant lot for development reasons,” Warren Christensen, a compliance officer with QPWS said.

Mr Christiansen said the man’s “cruel” actions had upset wildlife officers and RSPCA inspectors. One particular detail makes the deaths of the birds appear particularly senseless.

“It is believed the plovers would have moved on from the area in a matter of weeks,” Mr Christiansen said.

Wildlife carer left in tears after separate incident at development site

While the incident has left Queensland authorities shocked, Yahoo reported on a similar incident at a construction site in NSW last year.

Although this incident was in no way connected to the Brisbane event, it also involved a nest of plovers being crushed by a vehicle. The incident reduced an experienced wildlife rescuer to tears.

Plovers known to be great parents

Plovers, also known as masked lapwings, are known to be solid parents, protecting their nests through extreme heat or even snow.

Their chicks are precocial, meaning they are born covered in down and are able to feed themselves.

Adult bonded pairs nest on the ground, leaving them vulnerable to predators, both human and animal. As a result, they frequently swoop potential threats who enter their nesting zone, however they seldom make contact.

Plovers are protected under Queensland law

Plovers are native and protected in every Australian state. In Queensland, killing a protected animal without a permit can attract a maximum penalty of $14,375 if the matter is taken to court.

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“People are reminded that birds will begin nesting as spring approaches, and plovers and other ground-dwelling birds will be setting up their nests,” Mr Christiansen said.

“If wildlife are potentially causing harm by swooping, people should hire a licensed wildlife removal and relocation service and not take matters into their own hands.”

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