Sanderling Plan - Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network

VARIABILITY AND UNCERTAINTY
Several large-scale questions are important from both a conservation and ecological
perspective: What is the overall stability and predictability of the systems in which the
Sanderling occurs (change in landscape, change in predation, change in food resource, change in
climate)? How variable are the environmental conditions faced by Sanderlings through time
(seasons, years) and space (across sites, states, continents, hemispheres)? How do Sanderlings
respond to environmental uncertainty? And, are there predictable strategies?
MANAGEMENT-RELATED NEEDS
The primary management considerations for Sanderlings are to provide enough habitats
with enough food and safety at each location. Specific research needs related to management
include those mentioned above, as well as some related to the timing of management actions:
o Determine lengths of stay (turnover rates) at stopover sites to help target management
actions;
o What factors affect length of stay? And, can management alter this beneficially?
o Identify factors that may limit the quality of stopover habitats. For instance, if sand is to
be extracted (e.g., in Washington state), or deposited (e.g., beach nourishment), is there a
season when these actions can be done with minimal impact (i.e., summer?) Or perhaps,
might the size and spacing of extraction/deposition areas be evaluated prior to
manipulation?
ENERGETICS
Given the energetic requirements for an itinerant lifestyle (i.e., completing spectacular
migrations twice a year), it is crucial that Sanderlings have an adequate food supply at migration
stopover sites, with adequate roosts (for resting), and safety from disturbances and dangers
(predation, pollution, excessive/chronic human disturbance). Research is needed to estimate the
amount of food/roost resources needed for a Sanderling to build up fat, under different scenarios
(i.e., with and without disturbance). The amount of fat can be converted into estimates of the
distances a bird can fly—and therefore can provide insights into the food resources and habitat
needs of the species at stopover sites.
WHSRN – Sanderling Conservation Plan, February 2010, v1.1 64