Melissa Nelson Gabriel , mnelsongab@pnj.com Published 6:03 a.m. CT March 12, 2017 | Updated 3 hours ago

National park ranger Renee Jones hands out chick magnets at the entrance to Fort Pickens on Wednesday, March 8, 2017.(Photo: Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com)Buy Photo

Gulf Islands National Seashore Superintendent Dan Brown wanted to make park visitors aware of the dangers speeding cars pose to baby shorebirds when he dreamed up the idea of chick magnets back in 2014.

Brown had no idea how popular the car magnets, which featurebaby birds encouraging drivers to slow down, would become.

"I can drive 100 miles away from here and see cars with those magnets," he said. "I think people like the name;it's a fun thing that catches their attention."

New chick magnets are available at park entrance gates and the Fort Pickens visitors center.

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The 2017 chick magnets feature a snowy plover chick with the message "Save a chick #drive 25."

Superintendent Dan Brown discusses how he came up with the idea for the chick magnets at the Fort Pickens National Park. Wednesday, March 8, 2017.(Photo: Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com)

Renee Jones, a park service employee who was workingat the Fort Pickens entrance gate last week, said she already had gotten requests from people wanting the new magnets.

"People love them," said Jones, who has had the magnets stolen from her car in past years.

The release of the new magnets marks the start of shorebird nesting season, which stretches through September.

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Park biologist Kelly Irick said the park's birds often nest near the road and the flightless chicks are attracted to the pavement during the heat of the day when bugs swarm the hot asphalt. The chicks can also be hit by cars when people walk into nesting areas, causing the birds to flush.

Less than 10 percent of snowy plover eggs hatched in the park make it to becomefledgling birds, Iricksaid. In 2016, park officials documented about 100 shorebird deaths from cars.

In past years, the chick magnets have encouraged motorists to drive 20 miles per hour. The park upped the suggested speed limit for 2017 to 25 miles per hourto make it consistent with the speed limits throughout Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Despite the high mortality rate of newly hatched shorebirds, Brown said the chick magnet program appears to be making a difference.

"We have noticed more and more people obeying the speed limit signs and paying attention," he said.

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Chick magnets save Gulf Islands National Seashore birds - Pensacola News Journal