Bryan Watts of the Center for Conservation Biology and Barry Truitt of The
Nature Conservancy have recently compiled results from 2008 aerial surveys
for Whimbrel and other shorebirds along the seaside of the Delmarva
Peninsula in Virginia. Whimbrel begin to move into the area in early April,
reach a peak in early May, and move north by the last week of May.
Comparison of the peak Whimbrel count for 2008 to surveys conducted by the
team during the springs of 1994-1996 show a decline of approximately 50%.
The seaside lagoon complex of the lower Delmarva Peninsula has been
designated as a hemispheric shorebird reserve, recognizing its importance to
migrant shorebirds. The site represents a critical, coastal staging area
for Whimbrel, where birds congregate to feed on the staggering numbers of
fiddler crabs that inhabit the lagoon system and build up energy reserves
before making their last overland flight to the breeding grounds. The
importance of the lower Delmarva as a refueling site was demonstrated this
past spring when a bird fitted with a satellite transmitter left the shore
and flew more than 5,000 kilometers (3,200 miles) to the MacKenzie River in
146 hours.
The Whimbrel is a highly migratory shorebird wintering in Central and South
America and breeding in Alaska, around Hudson Bay and the Northwest
Territories of Canada. Due to the remote location of breeding sites and
their dispersed distribution, surveys on the wintering grounds and within
significant migratory staging areas such as the lower Delmarva Peninsula
represent the best indication of status and trends. The extent to which the
decline in peak counts on the lower Delmarva portends broader population
trends remains unknown. Threats faced within breeding and wintering
grounds, as well as within coastal staging areas, are poorly understood.
Continued research is planned by the Center for Conservation of Biology and
the Nature Conservancy to study the ecological requirements of migrant
Whimbrels staging along the peninsula and to link populations across
staging, breeding, and wintering areas.
Project contacts: Bryan Watts, bdwatt@xxxxxx (757)221-2247: Barry Truitt,
btruitt@xxxxxxx (757)442-3049
posted for Bryan by:
Mike Wilson
Center for Conservation Biology
College of William and Mary
PO Box 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
phone: 757-221-1649
fax: 757-221-1650
www.ccb-wm.org
