Study on shorebirds suggests that when conserving species, not all land is equal

Date: June 9, 2020

Source: Princeton University

Princeton University researchers may have solved a long-standing mystery in conservation that could influence how natural lands are designated for the preservation of endangered species.

Around the world, the migratory shorebirds that are a conspicuous feature of coastal habitats are losing access to the tidal flats -- the areas between dry land and the sea -- they rely on for food as they travel and prepare to breed. But a major puzzle has been that species' populations are plummeting several times faster than the rate at which coastal ecosystems are lost to development.

Nowhere is the loss of tidal flats and shorebird species more acute than along the East Asia-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). An estimated 5 million migratory birds from 55 species use the flyway to travel from southern Australia to northern Siberia along the rapidly developing coast of China -- where tidal flats can be more than 6 miles wide -- at which birds stop to rest and refuel.

Since the 1980s, the loss of tidal flats around the Yellow Sea has averaged 1.2% per year. Yet, the annual loss of the most endangered bird species has averaged between 5.1 and 7.5%, with populations of species such as the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpipers (Calidris pygmaea) climbing as high as 26% each year.

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Florida birds nest on rooftops instead of beaches now because of people, dogs, predators

Tyler Treadway Treasure Coast Newspapers

Published 6:00 AM EST Mar 4, 2020

Seabirds and shorebirds should start nesting on Florida beaches soon, but these days, they're more likely to be settling on rooftops.

Even those unnatural habitats are getting harder for the birds to find.

"There's just been too much loss of beach habitat and interruption from people, their dogs and predators for the birds to keep nesting on beaches," said David Simpson of Fellsmere, owner of Birding with David Simpson, a company offering guided birding tours and classes.

Birds that nest in colonies — least terns, black skimmers and American oystercatchers — and those that nest alone, such as Wilson's plovers, used to nest on beaches throughout the Treasure Coast. Now, beachgoers are unlikely to see nesting birds, except in a few sites.

Turns out, the beachgoers and their pets are a big part of the reason.

Most beach-nesting birds lay their eggs in shallow depressions in the sand, "not much more than dimples on the beach," said Ricardo Zambrano, a biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The nests don't provide much protection, and the birds seem to know it. Often, a single encounter with a perceived predator is enough for the birds to abandon a nest or colony of nests, leaving eggs and chicks behind.

"Least terns are very sensitive to intruders," Simpson said. "They'll just up and leave."

Continued

South Coast shorebird hatching boom despite bushfires

FEBRUARY 19, 2020 8:18 AM AEDT

Critically endangered Little Terns, Hooded Plovers and Pied Oystercatchers have fledged chicks at nesting sites along the NSW South Coast despite bushfires and beach visitors.

Environment Minister Matt Kean was pleased the little nesting shorebirds are doing well despite many challenges this summer including the Currowan fire.

“It’s really encouraging to see great conservation outcomes for these rare birds,” Mr Kean said.

“It’s great to have positive news about these birds which are migratory and listed as endangered or vulnerable species at risk of predation, storms and other threats.”

“These precious birds made it through last week’s king tide which nearly washed the eggs away before they hatched. Thankfully, NSW Government’s Saving our Species (SoS) program experts and local volunteers snatched them to safety from the advancing tide, moving the nests to the top of a sand mound.”

Volunteers kept watch to ensure the chicks were safe as the youngsters are still feeding with their parents at the site. Other breeding successes include:

35 little terns at Mogareeka, near Tathra

10 little terns and three pied oyster catchers at Tuross estuary, despite fox attacks and high tides

5 pied oyster catcher fledglings near Durras Lake entrance.

Shorebird Recovery Coordinator Sophie Hall-Aspland said these results show the shorebirds’ resilience, with the help of the determined efforts of the SoS’s South Coast Shorebird Recovery Program, which is a collaboration between SoS, NPWS, local community groups and over 100 volunteers.

The shorebird nesting season occurs from August to January/February, with peak laying from late November to mid-December. While pied oystercatchers are residents on many Aussie beaches, little terns undertake an arduous migration from as far away as Korea and Vietnam.

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Decline in shorebirds linked to climate change, experts warn

Date:  November 8, 2018

Source:  University of Bath

Climate change could be responsible for a substantial decline in populations of shorebirds, say researchers from the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath, following a study published in Science analysing population data over a period of 70 years.

Historically, the rates of nest predation -- eggs being stolen from nests by predators -- are higher in the tropics, presumably due to higher variability of potential predators.

To counter this, shorebirds such as plovers and sandpipers migrate to the Arctic to lay their eggs as a safe place in which to build their nests and raise their young. Tropical birds, on the other hand, tend to have longer lifespans and longer periods of seasonal reproduction so their populations can generally withstand higher nest predation.

However an international team of researchers, including researchers from the Universities of Bath and Sheffield, have found that rates of daily nest predation in the Arctic have increased threefold in the last 70 years.

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Decline in shorebirds linked to climate change, experts warn

Date:  November 8, 2018

Source:  University of Bath

Summary:

Researchers have discovered that daily nest predation of shorebirds has increased threefold over the last 70 years. The data suggest the larger increase in the Arctic relative to the tropics indicates a link to climate change.

Climate change could be responsible for a substantial decline in populations of shorebirds, say researchers from the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath, following a study published in Science analysing population data over a period of 70 years.

Historically, the rates of nest predation -- eggs being stolen from nests by predators -- are higher in the tropics, presumably due to higher variability of potential predators.

To counter this, shorebirds such as plovers and sandpipers migrate to the Arctic to lay their eggs as a safe place in which to build their nests and raise their young. Tropical birds, on the other hand, tend to have longer lifespans and longer periods of seasonal reproduction so their populations can generally withstand higher nest predation.

Continued 

Great news for Singapore shorebirds: new protected area announced

29 Oct 2018

This month, wetlands containing one of Singapore’s last remaining mangroves have secured protection after years of concerted advocacy. This move will benefit globally threatened birds such as the Chinese Egret and Straw-headed Bulbul.

By Shannon Anstee

Often, when we think of Singapore, we think of urban sprawl with sky-high buildings standing tall in a concrete jungle. However, what we often forget to recognise is how important this city is for migratory birds in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Migratory birds can travel from as far North as the Arctic Circle to as far South as Australia and New Zealand. Along the way, these birds rely on stopover sites in China, Vietnam and Singapore in order to rest and feed. These sites are becoming increasingly scarce amidst development and increasing population pressures. As a result, the protection of these natural environments are vital for securing the future and wellbeing of migratory birds.

The Nature Society (Singapore) (NSS - BirdLife Partner) recognises the importance of coastal mudflats within Singapore and has been advocating for their conservation for over three decades. Since the 1980s, they have been regularly monitoring biodiversity and birds in the Kranji - Mandai wetlands and mangroves. They have been working with local conservation groups and researchers at the National University of Singapore to push for its inclusion as a nationally protected area, and recognition as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA).

This month, through the hard work and advocacy of NSS and other stakeholders, the Singapore government has announced their intention to gazette an area of over 70 hectares of coastal mudflats and mangroves in the Kranji- Mandai IBA as a new protected area. The announcement was made at the World Migratory Bird Day activities at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in October 2018. "Although belated, the conservation of Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat is highly laudable on the part of the Singapore government, in consonant with the positive move for nature conservation through the last three decades from Buloh to Ubin to Kranji Marshes - and now Mandai.", expressed Dr. Hua Chew Ho, vice president of the Nature Society (Singapore).

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Alaska's shorebirds exposed to mercury

Date: July 13, 2016

Source: Central Ornithology Publication Office

Shorebirds breeding in Alaska are being exposed to mercury at levels that could put their populations at risk, according to new research from The Condor: Ornithological Applications.

Thanks to atmospheric circulation and other factors, the mercury that we deposit into the environment tends to accumulate in the Arctic. Mercury exposure can reduce birds' reproductive success and sometimes even be lethal. Shorebirds may be particularly vulnerable because they forage in aquatic environments where mercury is converted into methylmercury, its most dangerous form. Marie Perkins of the Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) and her colleagues investigated the level of mercury in Alaska's shorebirds and found that some birds breeding near Barrow, at the state's northern end, have mercury concentrations upwards of two micrograms per gram of blood.

"These species already face a lot of tough new challenges, from climate change to disappearing stop-over habitat, so throwing a neurotoxin in the mix that can reduce reproductive success is likely to harm their populations," according to Dan Cristol of the College of William & Mary, an expert on mercury in birds who was not involved with the new study. "The mercury concentrations reported in this paper are likely to reduce reproduction, but not catastrophically, based on what we know from other species. What may be even worse, though, is that these mercury levels probably spike when they leave the breeding grounds and start burning their reserve fuel, making their already arduous continent-jumping trips even harder."

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New species find in Central Otago confirms link between Australian and South American shorebirds

Date:October 20, 2015

Source:Taylor & Francis

It is commonly known that birds evolved from dinosaurs. But what happened next? Today, shorebirds (otherwise known as waders) live in a wide variety of environments worldwide, from the Himalayas to Antarctica. With their long legs, shorebirds have long been a subject of evolutionary discussion, but where did they originate and how did they diverge into so many habitats across the globe? Due to a poor fossil record, these questions remain largely unanswered. However, a new article published in Journal of Systematic Palaeontology sheds new light on this mystery.

A new piece in this evolutionary puzzle has been presented by an international team of New Zealand and Australian-based scientists, including researchers at Canterbury Museum, who have confirmed that a 19-16 million-year-old shorebird fossil, discovered in Central Otago, New Zealand, belongs to a group of small birds including the Australian Plains-wanderer and the South American Seedsnipes.

The new species, Hakawai melvillei, is named after a 'mystery bird' in Māori mythology and in honour of New Zealand-based ornithologist and ecologist David Melville.

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Groundbreaking bird study under way in southern Maine

By Jim Kanak

news@seacoastonline.com

August 20, 2014 12:29 PM

WELLS, Maine — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is participating in a groundbreaking study of shorebird migration patterns, using cutting-edge technology to track the birds and record their data.

The technology includes lightweight radio transmitters, known as nano tags attached to shorebirds. The tags transmit signals picked up by a network of radio towers that span the Northeast coast of the United States and into Canada. Two of the towers are in the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge in Wells.

Kate O’Brien, a USFWS wildlife biologist, is leading the project in Wells. She said the technology is what makes this project different.

“Less than 5 percent of (traditionally) banded birds are ever (re)caught,” O’Brien said. “That’s why nano tagging is good. In terms of cost, they’re not that expensive. The science is moving so quickly. It’s fascinating what people can learn about birds.”

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Sex role reversal: Female shorebirds rule the roost

A study of shorebirds has helped shed light on why some species reverse the roles of the sexes, with males carrying out the parental duties.

A team of European researchers found that an imbalance between the number of males and females triggered the change.

greater painted snipe

They reported the switch occurred when there was a higher ration of males to females, making it beneficial for males to stay with their mate.

The findings have been published in the journal Nature Communications.

Adult sex ratio

It had been argued that the conventional sex roles were widespread because females invested considerable energy in producing eggs so the survival of the offspring was a priority, therefore it made sense for the female to oversee the care of the young.

Seahorses provide one of the best known examples of a reversal in parenting roles

"Although a lot of research has investigated the reasons for why animals have many contrasting types of breeding behaviour, we are still far from the full understanding of this question," explained co-author Andras Liker from the University of Sheffield.

Continued:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21741912