Manomet:

The Shorebird Recovery Project: Dedicated to Saving Shorebirds and Their Habitats

The next time you feel frustrated about standing in line at an airport, consider the travel challenges facing intrepid shorebirds. Each year, many undertake one of nature’s most daunting journeys, traveling from their wintering grounds as far south as Tierra del Fuego to their breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra—and then back again.

Along the way, they rely on precious “staging areas” to rest and refuel before continuing on to the next leg of their journey. No doubt you have seen them darting about on beaches and mudflats, foraging for sea worms, horseshoe crab eggs, mollusks, or insects.

What you are witnessing is a “feeding frenzy.” These vulnerable little birds are increasing their weight, in some cases by as much as 100 percent, to fortify themselves for their pole-to-pole journey.

Sustaining these vital staging areas and maintaining healthy ecosystems across the hemisphere is of critical importance to the shorebirds—and to our quality of life as well.

There are 87 species of shorebirds that occur regularly in the Western Hemisphere. These include Sandpipers, Plovers, Stilts, Avocets, Red Knots, Godwits, Oystercatchers, Curlews, and Phalaropes. Today, many of these species are in serious trouble; their numbers are dropping so quickly that scientists estimate some could become extinct in our lifetime.

Scientists have begun to understand more about the extent of the threats that shorebirds face along every stage of their migratory journey: climate change, pollution, encroaching development, human and predator disturbance, degradation of breeding or wintering grounds, and stopover sites, to name a few. We’re witnessing the unraveling of nature’s fabric at important places upon which both birds and people depend.

Click here to learn what Manomet's Shorebird Recovery Project is doing to solve this problem.

Marvels of Nature

The feats of the shorebirds capture our imagination but, like people, they depend upon the health of the planet’s ecosystems.

The Red Knot migrates from the Arctic to the southern tip of South America and back each year. A one-way trip is about 9,000 miles. Their population has decreased from 100,000 in 1990 to 14,800 today.
The American Oystercatcher breeds along the coasts of North and South America. Today, there are only about 11,000 in the United States and we project that 10 percent will disappear over the next 10 years.
Phalaropes are shorebirds that nest on land but spend their winter at sea. The males are duller-colored than the females and have all the duties of tending the nest and incubating the eggs.
The Bar-tailed Godwit flies from Alaska to New Zealand in one non-stop flight of 7,150 miles.
To prepare for a long journey, many birds need to at least double their body weight.