Staging ecology of Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) and Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) juveniles in the St. Lawrence River Estuary during fall migration

The acquisition of body reserves by migrating shorebirds at specific staging sites is critical for reaching their breeding or wintering grounds. As many North American shorebird populations are declining, major staging sites need to be identified for effective conservation plans. Changes in body mass of Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus Bonaparte, 1825) and Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla (L., 1766)) juveniles, as well as length of stay and daily movements by Semipalmated Plover juveniles during fall migration, were studied in the St. Lawrence River Estuary in southern Quebec, Canada. Most juveniles of both species captured early in the migration period weighed less than the estimated mean fat-free mass. Body mass increased steadily in juveniles of both species during staging. Mean body masses of birds captured in our study area were similar to or higher than those of juveniles of both species captured along the North Atlantic coast. Length of stay of radio-tracked Semipalmated Plover juveniles ranged from 2 to 28 days. Body mass at capture and length of stay were negatively associated, suggesting that individuals refuelled before resuming their migration. Overall, these results provide evidence that the St. Lawrence River Estuary is an important staging site for Semipalmated Plover and Semipalmated Sandpiper juveniles.

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Relationship Among Breeding, Molting, and Wintering Areas of Male Barrow's Goldeneyes (Bucephala Islandica) in Eastern North America

The Auk ◽

10.1093/auk/119.3.676 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 119 (3) ◽

pp. 676-684 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michel Robert ◽

Réjean Benoit ◽

Jean-Pierre L. Savard

Keyword(s):

North American ◽

River Estuary ◽

North American Population ◽

American Population ◽

Adult Males ◽

Breeding Area ◽

The North ◽

Bucephala Islandica ◽

The Mean ◽

St Lawrence River

Abstract Little is known of the eastern North American population of Barrow's Goldeneyes (Bucephala islandica), which was recently listed as “of special concern” in Canada. In 1998 and 1999, we marked 18 adult males wintering along the St. Lawrence River, Québec, with satellite transmitters to document their breeding, molting, and wintering distribution and phenology, and to describe timing and routes of their spring, molt, and fall migrations. Thirteen males moved inland from the St. Lawrence River to breed; the spring migration averaged 5.9 days, and birds arrived on breeding areas on average 9 May. All breeding areas were inland, on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River estuary and gulf. Breeding areas averaged 64.8 km from the St. Lawrence corridor. Males stayed on their respective breeding area a mean of 34.5 days, and left on average 11 June. Twelve males were tracked to their molting areas, one of which stayed on its wintering area until 5 June and flew directly to its molting area. Their molt migration averaged 18.6 days, and the mean arrival date on molting areas was 30 June. All molting areas were located north and averaged 986 km from breeding areas. Four males molted in Hudson Bay, four in Ungava Bay, two in northern Labrador, one on Baffin Island, and one inland, near the Québec–Labrador border. The mean length of stay on the molting areas was 105.3 days, and the mean date of departure from molting areas was 4 October. All goldeneyes for which the radio still functioned during fall migration returned to winter in the St. Lawrence River estuary, on average 6 November. Our results refute the idea that the main breeding area of the eastern North American population of Barrow's Goldeneyes is located in northern Québec and Labrador and rather indicate that it is in the boreal forest just north of the St. Lawrence River estuary and gulf. They also indicate that Barrow's Goldeneye males undertake a genuine molt migration, and highlight the importance of molting areas because birds stayed there approximately four months each year.

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Annual and Seasonal Variation in Shorebird Abundance in the St. Lawrence River Estuary during Fall Migration

The Canadian Field-Naturalist ◽

10.22621/cfn.v131i3.1870 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 131 (3) ◽

pp. 203-214 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yves Turcotte ◽

Jean-Francois Lamarre ◽

Joel Bety

Keyword(s):

General Trend ◽

River Estuary ◽

Abundant Species ◽

Western Hemisphere ◽

Ecological Value ◽

Reserve Network ◽

Semipalmated Sandpiper ◽

Peak Abundance ◽

Effective Conservation ◽

St Lawrence River

Many north American shorebird populations are declining. it is therefore urgent to identify major sites used during their annual cycle to achieve effective conservation measures. our objective was to expand some aspects of the knowledge base needed to assess the ecological value of the St. Lawrence River Estuary for shorebird conservation. Here, we present the results of the most intensive shorebird survey ever conducted in the St. Lawrence River Estuary during fall migration. Surveys were conducted between St-Jean-Port-Joli and St-Simon-sur-Mer, Quebec, Canada, in 2011 and 2012, from late June/early July through late november, corresponding to the migration period of all species potentially present in the study area. The Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) was one of the two most abundant species during both years of our study (most abundant species, followed by Dunlin [Calidris alpina] and Black-bellied Plover [Pluvialis squatarola] in 2011; second to Blackbellied Plover in 2012). Considering the entire shorebird community, abundance of individuals peaked in early September. Peak abundance occurred earlier for adults than for juveniles. For most species, juveniles largely outnumbered adults. Juveniles were relatively less abundant in 2012 than in 2011. This reflected a general trend observed in northeastern north America between those years, suggesting a lower breeding success in 2012. Given its importance as a staging site for juvenile birds (study area used annually by up to a few hundred thousand shorebirds) and therein, its conservation value, we recommend that the St. Lawrence River Estuary should be included within the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve network.

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Body mass and acquisition of breeding plumage of wintering Calidris pusilla (Linnaeus) (Aves, Scolopacidae) in the coast of Pernambuco, north-eastern Brazil

Revista Brasileira de Zoologia ◽

10.1590/s0101-81752004000200013 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 249-252 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Carmem E. Fedrizzi ◽

Severino M. de Azevedo Júnior ◽

Maria E. Lacerda de Larrazábal

Keyword(s):

Body Mass ◽

Boreal Summer ◽

Semipalmated Sandpiper ◽

Eastern Brazil ◽

North Eastern ◽

Breeding Grounds ◽

Calidris Pusilla ◽

Breeding Plumage ◽

The Relationship ◽

Semipalmated Sandpipers

Annually, large flocks of semipalmated sandpiper Calidris pusilla (Linnaeus, 1766) winter along South America coast, between September-April. They store fats in order to moult and return to their breeding grounds. Here, was examined body masses and plumage of adults Semipalmated Sandpipers during the departure month to evaluate the relationship between body mass and plumage. Fieldwork was conducted at Coroa do Avião (7º40'S, 34º50'W), Pernambuco. Birds were trapped in mist-nets between April 1990 and 1997. They were weighed, and aged according to plumage. Adult plumage may be (1) non-breeding, (2) pre-breeding, and (3) breeding. A total of 213 birds were weighed and examined, so that 8.0% (17) presented non-breeding plumage, 54.0% (115) pre-breeding, and 38.0% (81) breeding plumage. As in Semipalmated Sandpiper, 25g is the minimum body mass required to migrate, birds with breeding plumage and most with pre-breeding, were potentially apt to migrate. Non-breeding plumage birds presented smaller body mass. Apparently physiological problems and infestation may be important factors to explain over-summering, i.e., individuals remaining in the wintering grounds during the boreal summer.

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A new species within the Eurytemora affinis complex (Copepoda: Calanoida) from the Atlantic Coast of USA, with observations on eight morphologically different European populations

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.2767.1.4 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2767 (1) ◽

pp. 41 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

VICTOR R. ALEKSEEV ◽

ANISSA SOUISSI

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

North American ◽

Atlantic Coast ◽

River Estuary ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Cylindrical Shape ◽

Eurytemora Affinis ◽

Lawrence Estuary ◽

The North ◽

Caudal Rami

Eurytemora carolleeae sp. nov. (Crustacea: Copepoda: Calaniformes) is described from the Chesapeake Bay, USA. The new species belongs to the Atlantic clade of the Eurytemora affinis complex outlined by previously published molecular work but poorly characterized morphologically. To discriminate E. carolleeae we compare specimens from the Atlantic USA clade with specimens from the type population of E. affinis (Poppe, 1880) from the Elbe River Estuary (Germany), as well as with eight other European coastal populations. Several important morphological characters clearly separate the North American E. cf. affinis from the European clade that include both sexes: a large outside orientated dent on the mandible, and clearly observable seta segmentation in the caudal rami and swimming legs. Unlike E. affinis, the newly described species possesses wing-like outgrowths on the genital double-somite and a very small spine near the distal seta insertion point in P5 in females. In males, the specific characters include naked dorsal and ventral sides of the caudal rami, and a cylindrical shape of exopod on the left P5, in contrast to a triangular shape of the segment in E. affinis. The new species was also found in Canada (St. Lawrence Estuary) and as an invasive species in the Baltic Sea. Eurytemora carolleeae is possibly widely distributed along the North American Atlantic coast, as well as in inland waters from Great Lakes to Mexico.

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Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla in Brazil: occurrence away from the coast and a new record for the central-west region

Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia ◽

10.1007/bf03544474 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (3) ◽

pp. 218-221

Author(s):

Karla Dayane de Lima Pereira ◽

Jayrson Araújo de Oliveira

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Ocean ◽

New Record ◽

The State ◽

Western Hemisphere ◽

The North ◽

Semipalmated Sandpiper ◽

West Region ◽

First Occurrence ◽

Calidris Pusilla

AbstractThe Semipalmated Sandpiper, Calidris pusilla, is a Western Hemisphere migrant shorebird for which Brazil forms an internationally important contranuptial area. In Brazil, the species main contranuptial areas is along the Atlantic Ocean coast, in the north and northeast regions. In addition to these primary contranuptial areas, there are also records of vagrants widely distributed across Brazil. Here, we review the occurrence of vagrants of this species in Brazil, and document a new record of C. pusilla for the central-west region and a first occurrence for the state of Goiás.

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Sélection des proies par quatre espèces d'oiseaux limicoles (Charadrii) de passage dans l'estuaire du Saint-Laurent lors de la migration vers le sud

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z90-171 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 68 (6) ◽

pp. 1154-1162 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Guy Michaud ◽

J. Ferron

Keyword(s):

Benthic Invertebrates ◽

Intertidal Mudflat ◽

Simultaneous Presence ◽

Invertebrate Fauna ◽

Nereis Virens ◽

Semipalmated Sandpiper ◽

Feeding Area ◽

Calidris Pusilla ◽

Charadrius Semipalmatus ◽

Southward Migration

The diet of four shorebird species, the Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola), Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus), Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes), and Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla), was studied on an intertidal mudflat during their southward migration. Mollusks dominate the invertebrate fauna in the feeding area, representing 95% of the organisms in terms of number and biomass. The predatory shorebirds appeared to forage selectively on polychaetes and crustaceans, which represent only 5% of the benthic invertebrates in the feeding area. Lesser Yellowlegs eat nearly exclusively crustaceans. The other three predators feed mainly on Nereis virens and all three select groups of worms that differ significantly by their size, the larger predators consuming the biggest prey. Despite the simultaneous presence of the four predators on the feeding area, they seem to share the resources without overt interspecific competition.

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Loadings of Selected Chemicals into the St. Lawrence River System from Lake Ontario, 1986/87

Water Quality Research Journal ◽

10.2166/wqrj.1989.037 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 589-608 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

I.K. Tsanis ◽

J. Biberhofer ◽

C.R. Murthy ◽

A. Sylvestre

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Lake Ontario ◽

River System ◽

Vertical Gradient ◽

The South ◽

Measured Concentration ◽

Chemical Monitoring ◽

The North ◽

Loading Estimates ◽

St Lawrence River

Abstract Determination of the mass output through the St. Lawrence River outflow system is an important component in computing mass balance of chemical loadings to Lake Ontario. The total flow rate in the St. Lawrence River System at the Wolfe Island area was calculated from detailed time series current meter measurements from a network of current meters and Lagrangian drifter experiments. This flow is roughly distributed in the ratio of 55% to 45% in the South and North channel, respectively. Loading estimates of selected chemicals have been made by combining the above transport calculations with the ongoing chemical monitoring data at the St. Lawrence outflow. A vertical gradient in the concentration of some organic and inorganic chemicals was observed. The measured concentration for some of the chemicals was higher during the summer months and also is higher in the South Channel than in the North Channel of the St. Lawrence River. These loading estimates are useful not only for modelling the mass balance of chemicals in Lake Ontario but also for serving as input loadings to the St. Lawrence River system from Lake Ontario.

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Sources of Chlorophenolic Compounds to the Fraser River Estuary

Water Quality Research Journal ◽

10.2166/wqrj.1988.005 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 55-68 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

J. H. Carey ◽

J. H. Hart

Keyword(s):

River Flow ◽

River Estuary ◽

Low Flow ◽

Fraser River ◽

Pulp Mills ◽

Flow Conditions ◽

Downstream Site ◽

Upstream Site ◽

The North ◽

Main River

Abstract The identity and concentrations of chlorophenolic compounds in the Fraser River estuary were determined under conditions of high and low river flow at three sites: a site upstream from the trifurcation and at downstream sites for each main river arm. Major chlorophenolics present under both flow regimes were 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP), 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol (2,3,4,6-TeCP), pentachlorophenol (PCP), tetrachloroguaiacol (TeCG) and a compound tentatively identified as 3,4,5-trichloroguaiacol (3,4,5-TCG). Under high flow conditions, concentrations of the guaiacols were higher than any of the Chlorophenols and concentrations of all five chlorophenolics appeared to correlate. Under low flow conditions, concentrations of chloroguaiacols were higher than Chlorophenols at the upstream site and at the downstream site on the Main Arm, whereas at the downstream site on the North Arm, concentrations of 2,3,4,6-TeCP and PCP were higher than the chloroguaiacols in some samples. Overall, the results indicate that pulp mills upstream from the estuary are important sources of chlorophenolics to the estuary under all flow conditions. Additional episodic inputs of 2,3,4,6-TeCP and PCP from lumber mills occur along the North Arm. When these inputs occur, they can cause the concentrations of Chlorophenols in the North Arm to exceed provisional objectives. If chloroguaiacols are included as part of the objective, concentrations of total chlorophenolics in water entering the estuary can approach and exceed these objectives, especially under low flow conditions.

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