ADVANCING SHOREBIRD CONSERVATION IN THE

Until recently, the coasts of South America were thought to provide the most important non-breeding habitats for migratory shorebirds, but recent tracking data shows that birds also migrate along interior river systems.

This project seeks to improve understanding of migration in the Llanos savannas of Colombia and Venezuela and the beaches and sandbanks of Amazonian rivers in northern in Peru and Colombia.

The objectives are to: 1) advance the conceptual model for shorebird conservation in the Midcontinental Flyway, with a focus on identifying priority strategies and actions in the interior of northern South America; 2) engage key South American stakeholders to inform the modeling and garner support for strategy implementation; 3) improve understanding of stopover sites and critical habitats in northern South America for Buff-breasted Sandpiper; and 4) strengthen and empower conservation actions at key stopover sites for Buff-breasted Sandpiper.

These actions will further the development of a Midcontinental Shorebird Flyway Strategy.