Code
CCBTR-22-05
Publication Date
2022
Abstract
Whimbrel populations (Hudson Bay, Mackenzie River) that utilize the Western Atlantic Flyway (WAF) are believed to be declining by 4% annually since at least the early 1990s. Halting/reversing population declines will require collaboration on research efforts to fill information gaps and coordination of management activities on a flyway scale. We have used existing satellite tracking data to establish and publish the architecture of the annual cycle for both Mackenzie Delta and Hudson Bay breeding populations. We have developed approaches to monitoring whimbrel numbers within terminal spring staging sites along the South Atlantic Coast and have worked to expand monitoring efforts to all staging sites. We have explored a novel approach to quantifying cohort strength by harvesting e-bird photos and examining hatch-year to adult ratios and have used the spatial variation in this metric to identify sites that may be used to study juvenile ecology and demography. We have improved conditions within critical areas by 1) educating blueberry growers about whimbrel populations, 2) continuing outreach to the public within staging areas and 3) restoring a communal roost along the South Atlantic. We held the first organizational meeting of the Whimbrel Working Group, established the group’s infrastructure and priorities and are working toward an updated conservation plan focused on whimbrel populations using the WAF.
Topic
Abund/Distr, Survival/Mortality, Breeding/Demography/Pop Dynamics, Wildlife and Society
Species
Whimbrel
Source
Center for Conservation Biology Technical Report Series, CCBTR-22-05. William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA.
Recommended Citation
Watts, B. D.. 2022. Moving Toward Full Life-cycle Conservation for Whimbrels using the Western Atlantic Flyway (Program Expansion) - Final Report. Center for Conservation Biology Technical Report Series: CCBTR-22-05. William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA. 89 pp.
