Rob Clay

Vice President, Flyways

Overview

Today, shorebirds are undergoing one of the most dramatic declines of any bird group worldwide. Recent studies show that we have lost more than one-third of all coastal shorebirds since 1970. To stabilize and rebuild shorebird populations and safeguard their vital habitats, Manomet has launched the Coalitions for Shorebird Conservation to accelerate and support targeted conservation efforts at 13 of the most important shorebird sites in the Americas. At each location, we are improving the quality and quantity of critical shorebird habitats and increasing local capacity for conservation action.

Shorebirds face many challenges, including habitat loss and degradation, human disturbance, unregulated and illegal hunting, increasing predation, and climate change. These challenges are greater than any single organization can address alone. That means the most important thing we can do to safeguard shorebird populations is to build coalitions that work together to address these threats. Coalitions for Shorebird Conservation connects site-based and hemisphere-scale conservation planning and action. Through a targeted approach to site conservation, Manomet is helping these sites bridge the divide between local and global action, to inspire and to inform coordinated and comprehensive shorebird conservation in the Americas.