increasing threat range-wide and can have measurable effects.
Whenever and wherever shorebirds are present regardless
of the stage of their annual cycle, they need to be able to nest,
rest, and feed with as little disturbance as possible. It really is a
matter of life or death. During nesting season, shorebird eggs
and chicks left unattended in response to a disturbance are
subject to lethal temperatures and predation if parents are kept
off the nest or away from chicks for extended periods of time.
Since shorebirds lay their eggs in shallow depressions in
the sand called scrapes, they often have to shade their eggs
by standing over them during the heat of the day. Although
chicks leave the nest within a day or so of hatching, they are
not able to fly for over a month, making them vulnerable
when separated from their parents. During migration,
shorebirds need to rest and feed to build up fat reserves
that will fuel the next leg of their journey. During winter
when food is less abundant, shorebirds need to eat enough
to maintain their body temperatures at colder temperatures
and rest to conserve energy. Disturbances at any stage of a
shorebird’s annual cycle that disrupt normal behavior and
occur throughout the day can lower survival.
The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University’s
(Virginia Tech) Shorebird Program and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service’s South Carolina Field Office recently
completed a five year study on piping plover survival at
select winter sites in South Carolina and Georgia including
Although only two shorebird species, the piping plover
and red knot, are federally listed as threatened and protected
under the Endangered Species Act, almost all shorebird
species are of conservation concern due to the ongoing threat
of habitat loss range wide. The major cause of habitat loss,
particularly in the United States, can be attributed to coastal
and beachfront development. The development of mainland
shorelines and islands over many decades has created a
static shoreline where shifting shorelines previously existed.
By drawing a line in the sand so to speak, we are limiting
or preventing the natural processes that create habitats in
an ecosystem that thrives on constant change. Instead we
constantly try to convert a dynamic system into a static
one by stabilizing or maintaining the current shoreline to
protect existing development, which comes at a cost to other
inhabitants in the form of habitat loss.
The amount of available habitat will determine the extent
to which shorebird populations can recover. As the amount
of available habitat continues to shrink, so does the potential
for population growth. This concept is further confounded
by the amount of available habitat that shorebirds can
actually use. Along with development comes ease of access
facilitating higher levels of recreational disturbance (human
use of the beach). Although often unintentional, recreational
disturbance can disrupt normal shorebird feeding and resting
behavior resulting in excessive energy expenditure, which is an
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