Conserving Shorebirds on Department of Defense Lands
Abstract
Shorebirds are some of the most highly migratory animals known, and some species routinely travel between the most northern and southern lands of the earth. Although the name suggests all are birds of shorelines, in North America the term is more narrowly applied to roughly 50 kinds of sandpipers, plovers and their allies (Fig. 1), some of which live in upland habitats. To complete their amazing migrations, many kinds of shorebirds make nonstop flights spanning a thousand or more miles without stopping for food or water. These 'marathons' require that they visit migration stopover areas, typically wetlands of one kind or another, where they feed intensively to add large amounts of fat crucial for the ensuing long distance flight. Some shorebirds, such as those in the interior of the continent, have more dispersed migrations. These species depend on small wetlands interspersed along migration routes. Preferred habitats vary among species and times of year, as do migration routes and schedules. Unfortunately, more than half of the wetlands that once existed in the United States are now gone, and in some regions strategic to shorebirds more than 90 percent of the wetlands have been lost. Well-focused management initiatives can help provide wetland and other habitats needed by shorebirds and other biota. Along with other large land managers in the U.S., Department of Defense biologists have a unique opportunity to manage wetland and upland habitat in ways that benefit wildlife populations and help to reverse the rapid population declines we are witnessing. Today increasing numbers of wildlife managers use management practices to provide suitable wetland and other habitats for migratory shorebirds. To help elucidate the best opportunities, The Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) provides shorebird management training workshops for professional managers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA541484
Entities
People
- Brian Harrington