AbstractTwenty-eight species of migratory shorebirds rely
on the coastlines of the northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) to
fuel migrations to near-arctic breeding grounds. Shorebird
species vary in their migration ecology: some species
use a “jump” strategy, migrating long distances without
stopping, while others use “skip” and “hop” strategies,
stopping to refuel at shorter intervals along their journey.
We compared stopover duration, body condition (fat
scores and size-adjusted mass), and refueling rates
(plasma metabolite concentrations), in three Calidrid
sandpiper species (Calidris pusilla, C. mauri, and C. alpina)
that differ in migration strategy after leaving the NGOM
during spring. Results indicate that, while birds refueled
at similar rates, C. alpina, an intermediate distance jump
migrant, reached higher fuel stores before departing on
migration than the hop and skip migrants, C. pusilla and
C. mauri. C. alpina also spent more time on the NGOM
than the other two species. Results suggest that NGOM
habitats may be particularly important for migration
success in C. alpina. This knowledge will help us predict
the potential population level consequences of habitat
loss due to global change on NGOM shorebird populations
and develop conservation plans to mitigate these impacts.
Bird collisions with power lines: Prioritizing species and areas by estimating potential population‐level impacts
