Migration monitoring in shorebirds and landbirds: commonalities and differences
This article is part of a larger document. View the larger document here.Abstract
Several aspects of a developing program to monitor shorebirds in the western hemisphere are pertinent to migration monitoring of landbirds. Goals of the Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring (PRISM) include estimating population size and population trends of 74 species, sub-species and distinct populations of North American shorebirds, monitoring shorebird use at stopover locations, and assisting local managers in meeting management goals. Migration monitoring, one of three components of PRISM, works in concert with breeding and wintering surveys to achieve these goals. Existing and emerging migration surveys across several regions are now being integrated with a major focus on reducing potential sources of bias (frame, selection, and measurement). Experience with shorebirds suggests that migration monitoring might also be achievable with landbirds, though different and innovative approaches would have to be developed. We discuss an approach to the selection of monitoring sites in an extensive dynamic ecosystem where birds are broadly and unpredictably dispersed during migration.