Sanderling Plan - Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network

A potential issue of importance on the North American Pacific Coast (Washington,
Oregon, and parts of California) is the rate at which Sanderlings acquire their essential food
intake during winter, when storms can last several days or more and limit (or even prevent)
foraging by Sanderlings. How does food intake vary with weather? If stormy conditions pose a
significant constraint to Sanderling mass accumulation, the need to manage human disturbance
would increase, given its potentially compounding effect on Sanderling survival (during stressful
conditions).
DANGERS (POTENTIAL AND KNOWN):
Research is needed to illuminate the current and potential dangers to Sanderling
populations, with the explicit purpose of clarifying the actual threat and reducing those threats:
Habitat alteration
o Determine the effects of habitat alterations such dredging, beach replenishment, and other
activities;
o Identify factors that may limit the quality of stopover habitat
Contaminants
o Determine the effects of contaminants on Sanderling prey;
o Determine the effects of contaminants on Sanderling and other shorebirds;
o Examination of sublethal effects of pesticide and other contamination on migratory
performance.
Oil spills
o Monitor/quantify habitat and food resources prior to spill as preparation for quantifying
the direct and indirect effects of spills;
o Conduct post-spill surveys to accurately quantify spill damages;
o Improve oil trajectory models;
o Effect of oiling on the duration of migratory stopovers, likelihood of disruption or
cessation of further migration, mortality during migration, and reproduction.
o Physiological effects on Sanderlings and other shorebirds from ingesting oil products
while preening after being contaminated from a spill.
WHSRN – Sanderling Conservation Plan, February 2010, v1.1 60