The Amazon Basin’s rivers and lakes support Nearctic-breeding shorebirds during southward migration

ABSTRACT Identifying the migration routes and stopover sites used by declining species is critical for developing targeted conservation actions. Long-distance migratory shorebirds are among the groups of birds declining most rapidly, yet we frequently lack detailed knowledge about the routes and stopover sites they use during their hemisphere-spanning migrations. This is especially true for species that migrate through mid-continental regions in the Western Hemisphere. We therefore used satellite transmitters to track 212 individuals of 6 shorebird species during their southward migrations—Pluvialis dominica (American Golden-Plover), Limosa haemastica (Hudsonian Godwit), Tringa flavipes (Lesser Yellowlegs), Calidris subruficollis (Buff-breasted Sandpiper), C. melanotos (Pectoral Sandpiper), and Bartramia longicauda (Upland Sandpiper)—as they crossed the Amazon Basin of South America, a region from which reports of shorebird numbers are increasing but remain relatively rare. Our results make clear that the Amazon Basin provides stopover habitat for a large number of shorebirds: more than 74% of individuals tracked crossing the Amazon Basin stopped over in the region for an average of 2–14 days, with some spending the entire nonbreeding season there. All species selected stopover sites along the region’s many rivers and lakes, while within stopover sites each species exhibited distinct habitat preferences. The timing of stopovers within sub-basins of the Amazon Basin also coincided with periods of low water, when the muddy, shallow water habitats preferred by most shorebirds are likely plentiful. Together, our results highlight the need for detailed investigations into shorebird abundance and distribution within the Amazon Basin, threats to shorebirds within particular subbasins, and links between shorebird conservation efforts and those targeting the myriad other species that inhabit this dynamic, hyper-diverse region.

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Publication Details

Journal
Ornithological applications
Published
2024-08-08
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/ornithapp/duae034
Citations
5
Primary Topic
Avian ecology and behavior
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.29
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article

The Amazon Basin’s rivers and lakes support Nearctic-breeding shorebirds during southward migration

Rosalind B. Renfrew, Christopher J. Latty, Christopher M. Harwood, Jason M. Hill et al.
5 citations
Ornithological applications
Avian ecology and behavior
2.29
article

The Amazon Basin’s rivers and lakes support Nearctic-breeding shorebirds during southward migration

Rosalind B. Renfrew, Christopher J. Latty, Christopher M. Harwood, Jason M. Hill, Jean‐François Lamarre, Juan G. Navedo, Autumn‐Lynn Harrison, Shiloh Schulte, Christian Friis, Callie Gesmundo, Juliana Bosi de Almeida, Brett K. Sandercock, Marie‐Andrée Giroux, Audrey R. Taylor, Stephen C. Brown, Benoit Laliberté, Nicolas Lecomte, Mitch D. Weegman, Mihai Vâlcu, Nathan R. Senner, Laura A. McDuffie, Enzo Basso, Zachary M. Pohlen, Katherine S. Christie, Mike Russell, Jennie Rausch, Jennifer A. Linscott, Paul A. Smith, Bart Kempenaers, Richard B. Lanctot, Sarah J. Clements, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Bart M. Ballard, Fernando Angulo-Pratolongo, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, T. Lee Tibbitts, Alexandra M. Anderson, James A. Johnson, Joël Bêty, Erica Nol, Rosalyn Bathrick, James R. Wright, Jorge Ruiz
article en
5 citations

Abstract

ABSTRACT Identifying the migration routes and stopover sites used by declining species is critical for developing targeted conservation actions. Long-distance migratory shorebirds are among the groups of birds declining most rapidly, yet we frequently lack detailed knowledge about the routes and stopover sites they use during their hemisphere-spanning migrations. This is especially true for species that migrate through mid-continental regions in the Western Hemisphere. We therefore used satellite transmitters to track 212 individuals of 6 shorebird species during their southward migrations—Pluvialis dominica (American Golden-Plover), Limosa haemastica (Hudsonian Godwit), Tringa flavipes (Lesser Yellowlegs), Calidris subruficollis (Buff-breasted Sandpiper), C. melanotos (Pectoral Sandpiper), and Bartramia longicauda (Upland Sandpiper)—as they crossed the Amazon Basin of South America, a region from which reports of shorebird numbers are increasing but remain relatively rare. Our results make clear that the Amazon Basin provides stopover habitat for a large number of shorebirds: more than 74% of individuals tracked crossing the Amazon Basin stopped over in the region for an average of 2–14 days, with some spending the entire nonbreeding season there. All species selected stopover sites along the region’s many rivers and lakes, while within stopover sites each species exhibited distinct habitat preferences. The timing of stopovers within sub-basins of the Amazon Basin also coincided with periods of low water, when the muddy, shallow water habitats preferred by most shorebirds are likely plentiful. Together, our results highlight the need for detailed investigations into shorebird abundance and distribution within the Amazon Basin, threats to shorebirds within particular subbasins, and links between shorebird conservation efforts and those targeting the myriad other species that inhabit this dynamic, hyper-diverse region.

Ornithological applications
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (US), Canadian Forest Service (CA), Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (CA), United States Geological Survey (US), Natural Resources Conservation Service (US), Environment and Climate Change Canada (CA), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (US), University of Alaska Anchorage (US), Université de Moncton (CA), Austral University of Chile (CL), Texas A&M University – Kingsville (US), Université du Québec à Rimouski (CA), University of Massachusetts Amherst (US), Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (US), University of Saskatchewan (CA), Max Planck Institute for Ornithology (DE), National Zoological Park (US), Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad (PE), Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NO), Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (CL), Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Conservation Biology Institute, Polar Knowledge Canada, U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, The Ohio State University (US), Manomet Conservation Sciences (US), Optica (US), Trent University (CA), University of Maine (US)
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 12%
Avian ecology and behavior
2.29
DOISourceOpenAlex
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