During migration, shorebirds rest and refuel at stopover sites that may be separated by thousands of kilometers.  Huge numbers of shorebirds of a variety of species use the Copper River Delta near Cordova each spring on their way to Arctic or subarctic breeding grounds.  Along the Pacific Flyway, the Copper River Delta is the most important stopover area in spring for Western Sandpiper and Dunlin, hosting up to 4 million Western Sandpiper alone.  Total area of this stopover site is ~ 4,000 km², including 645 km² of intertidal mudflats. 

Northbound radio-marked Western sandpipers and Dunlin have been detected in relatively high proportions at a handful of North American coastal sites, suggesting that a large fraction of the breeding population uses these stopovers each year.  Additionally, during 3 springs of monitoring for radio-marked birds, 8-21% of radio-marked birds detected on the Copper River Delta were recorded only at Hartney Bay, a small, shallow bay on the east side of Orca Inlet. 

The purpose of this study is to establish whether birds use the same specific locations within a larger stopover area year on year.  A better understanding of when, where, and for how long migrant shorebirds stop over will help to estimate the number of individuals using a site and determine a site’s importance to both species and flyway conservation

We will attach color bands to Western Sandpiper, Dunlin, Least Sandpiper and Semipalmated Plover at Hartney Bay during peak shorebird concentrations over a 3 year period, 2008 - 2010. 

Bands will be red in 2008, green in 2009 and orange in 2010.  Regular counts will ascertain the number of birds using the area.  Proportions of each year’s birds returning to Hartney Bay will be evaluated through recapture rate and corroborated by visual checks. We will also assess the age and body condition of marked birds to look for differences within the migration period and between years.  A metal band with a unique number will be attached to each bird to provide future information about movements and survival rates.

 

 

Principal Investigator

Mary Anne Bishop, Ph.D.

PWS Science Center

mbishop@pwssc.org

 

Related publications:

 

Taylor, A.R. and M.A. Bishop.  2008.  Stopover site fidelity of a Western Sandpiper on the Copper River Delta, Alaska.  Waterbirds. in press.