Lengths of Stay and Stopover Strategies of Western Sandpipers During Migration at Two Sites in British Columbia, Canada
ABSTRACT An accurate estimate of length of stay is necessary to derive passage population size for birds using a migration stopover site. In this study, we used VHF tags and a Motus automated telemetry array to estimate the length of stay of 385 Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri) migrating through...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70739 |
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| author | Anne L. Blondin Mark C. Drever Scott A. Flemming Wendy E. Easton Mark Maftei Yuri Zharikov Nils Warnock Erica Nol |
| author_facet | Anne L. Blondin Mark C. Drever Scott A. Flemming Wendy E. Easton Mark Maftei Yuri Zharikov Nils Warnock Erica Nol |
| author_sort | Anne L. Blondin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT An accurate estimate of length of stay is necessary to derive passage population size for birds using a migration stopover site. In this study, we used VHF tags and a Motus automated telemetry array to estimate the length of stay of 385 Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri) migrating through two stopover sites in British Columbia, Canada (Tofino and Fraser River Estuary) over the course of seven migration periods (three northward and four southward) from 2018 to 2021. The average length of stay of Western Sandpipers at the Tofino site on the west coast of Vancouver Island varied from 2 to 6 days and was shorter than the length of stay at the Fraser River Estuary, where the average length of stay varied from 4 to 8 days. At both sites, adult birds had shorter stopovers during southward migration, juvenile birds had longer stopovers compared to adults, and birds with lower mass at capture had longer stopovers. Morphology of adults and juveniles varied between the two sites. Birds captured at Tofino had shorter tarsi, as well as higher mass during southward migration compared to Western Sandpipers captured at the Fraser River Estuary. We also assessed prey availability at the two stopover sites, and we found that invertebrate density was greater in Tofino compared to the Fraser River Estuary during northward migration. Variation in minimum stopover length and morphology between sites suggests that individuals from different overwintering populations may use different routes along the west coast of North America. Western Sandpipers stopping at Tofino have a shorter length of stay during both migration periods and arrive heavier during southward migration, characteristics typical of “hop” migrants who travel shorter distances between stopover sites. Different stopover sites offer a unique set of site characteristics used by birds exhibiting varying migration strategies, highlighting the importance of conserving a diversity of migration stopover locations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-324810d08f37448c80aeb105b3110c10 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-324810d08f37448c80aeb105b3110c102025-01-29T05:08:41ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-01-01151n/an/a10.1002/ece3.70739Lengths of Stay and Stopover Strategies of Western Sandpipers During Migration at Two Sites in British Columbia, CanadaAnne L. Blondin0Mark C. Drever1Scott A. Flemming2Wendy E. Easton3Mark Maftei4Yuri Zharikov5Nils Warnock6Erica Nol7Trent University Peterborough Ontario CanadaEnvironment and Climate Change Canada Delta British Columbia CanadaEnvironment and Climate Change Canada Delta British Columbia CanadaEnvironment and Climate Change Canada Delta British Columbia CanadaRaincoast Education Society Ucluelet British Columbia CanadaPacific Rim National Park Reserve Parks Canada Ucluelet British Columbia CanadaAudubon Canyon Ranch Stinson Beach California USATrent University Peterborough Ontario CanadaABSTRACT An accurate estimate of length of stay is necessary to derive passage population size for birds using a migration stopover site. In this study, we used VHF tags and a Motus automated telemetry array to estimate the length of stay of 385 Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri) migrating through two stopover sites in British Columbia, Canada (Tofino and Fraser River Estuary) over the course of seven migration periods (three northward and four southward) from 2018 to 2021. The average length of stay of Western Sandpipers at the Tofino site on the west coast of Vancouver Island varied from 2 to 6 days and was shorter than the length of stay at the Fraser River Estuary, where the average length of stay varied from 4 to 8 days. At both sites, adult birds had shorter stopovers during southward migration, juvenile birds had longer stopovers compared to adults, and birds with lower mass at capture had longer stopovers. Morphology of adults and juveniles varied between the two sites. Birds captured at Tofino had shorter tarsi, as well as higher mass during southward migration compared to Western Sandpipers captured at the Fraser River Estuary. We also assessed prey availability at the two stopover sites, and we found that invertebrate density was greater in Tofino compared to the Fraser River Estuary during northward migration. Variation in minimum stopover length and morphology between sites suggests that individuals from different overwintering populations may use different routes along the west coast of North America. Western Sandpipers stopping at Tofino have a shorter length of stay during both migration periods and arrive heavier during southward migration, characteristics typical of “hop” migrants who travel shorter distances between stopover sites. Different stopover sites offer a unique set of site characteristics used by birds exhibiting varying migration strategies, highlighting the importance of conserving a diversity of migration stopover locations.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70739 |
| spellingShingle | Anne L. Blondin Mark C. Drever Scott A. Flemming Wendy E. Easton Mark Maftei Yuri Zharikov Nils Warnock Erica Nol Lengths of Stay and Stopover Strategies of Western Sandpipers During Migration at Two Sites in British Columbia, Canada Ecology and Evolution |
| title | Lengths of Stay and Stopover Strategies of Western Sandpipers During Migration at Two Sites in British Columbia, Canada |
| title_full | Lengths of Stay and Stopover Strategies of Western Sandpipers During Migration at Two Sites in British Columbia, Canada |
| title_fullStr | Lengths of Stay and Stopover Strategies of Western Sandpipers During Migration at Two Sites in British Columbia, Canada |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lengths of Stay and Stopover Strategies of Western Sandpipers During Migration at Two Sites in British Columbia, Canada |
| title_short | Lengths of Stay and Stopover Strategies of Western Sandpipers During Migration at Two Sites in British Columbia, Canada |
| title_sort | lengths of stay and stopover strategies of western sandpipers during migration at two sites in british columbia canada |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70739 |
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