Speaker: Bill Volkert

Shorebirds are comprised of a diverse family of birds. They undertake among the greatest annual migration of any group of birds. Many species span the hemisphere between northerly breeding grounds and wintering sites with migrations as much as 10,000 miles each way. As a result they are both opportunists as they search for stop-over sites and are under increasing pressure to successfully find suitable feeding and resting locations along the way.

Recent advancements in technology have revealed some amazing aspects of their migrations. We will explore several examples of these annual journeys and delve into the ecology of these amazing birds. As a result of increasing threats to these birds new initiatives are in development of address them and while shorebirds are experiencing ever more human-caused pressure, opportunities exist manage stop-over habitat and provide for them.