Sanderling Plan - Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network

also breed on Bathurst Island, Nunavut in variable but relatively low nesting densities (1–3
pairs/km 2 depending on year; Parmelee 1970, Mayfield 1983). Recent studies confirm that
Creswell Bay, Nunavut, is an important breeding site for Sanderlings (Latour et al. 2005).
Creswell Bay is the most northern large area of exceptional shorebird breeding density in the
Canadian arctic islands, and marks the northern limit of the Sanderling’s breeding range (Latour
et al. 2005).
MIGRATION SITES
Sanderlings aggregate at some sites during migration (especially spring), but are more
dispersed during fall migration. Listed below are the sites where many Sanderlings aggregate
during migration along the U.S. Atlantic coast (especially Delaware Bay), the Canadian interior
(especially Saskatchewan), and, to a lesser extent, the U.S. Pacific coast (Oregon and
Washington).
In preparation for developing the Conservation Plan for the Sanderling, the author
analyzed International Shorebird Survey (ISS) records for Sanderlings (1974–2005). Although
ISS data offer the most complete picture of shorebird distributions in the Western Hemisphere,
there are some inconsistencies in the data set (as there are in most volunteer-run data efforts). For
instance, the number of times each site is surveyed, and consequently, our certainty about
Sanderling use at each site. Hence, the data are presented in a transparent way, by survey period
(decade) and number of years surveyed, arrayed by site. Tables 1, 2, 3, and 4 in Appendix IV
contain the categorized results by season (spring; fall) and length of time surveyed (1–4 years;
5+ years); Tables 5 and 6 (Appendix IV) contain results for winter. The purpose for including
these tables is twofold: 1) to highlight a number of sites that are known to be important to the
Sanderling during migration (knowing that in subsequent versions of this plan we will include
other sites not captured by the ISS, especially likely for sites outside the United States); and 2) to
present the best available information on Sanderlings in a way that enables managers to better
understand, and then prioritize, their management/conservation efforts.
Other data sources consulted for Version 1.0 of this plan include the World Bird Data
Base (2009) Important Bird Areas of Canada (2009); subsequent versions of the plan should
consult each state’s Important Bird Area list (available online), as well as the Important Bird
Areas of Mexico (available online). These resources highlight additional sites of potential and/or
WHSRN – Sanderling Conservation Plan, February 2010, v1.1 25