Shorebirds Recovery.pdf

Shorebirds at the South Jersey shore show signs of improvement, with red knots and other species gaining enough weight to achieve critical weight gain due to sufficient horseshoe crab eggs in Delaware Bay.

Key findings:
- Birds have gained weight fast, with some exceeding 100 grams, indicating good condition for their annual hemispheric flight.
- Unusually settled weather and low onshore winds contributed to a surge in horseshoe crab eggs, allowing birds to feed and gain weight.
- Researchers anticipate the birds will lift off to their summer breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic this week.
- A new website, www.bandedbirds.org, allows bird watchers to report re-sightings of tagged birds and track their migration patterns.
- Data shows many birds have reached optimum weights, a significant improvement from past years when many failed to reach minimum safe weights.

Factors contributing to the improvement:
- Tightened limits on horseshoe crab fishing and a harvest ban in New Jersey.
- Beach replenishment in the Reed's Beach area and attractive creek mouths for crabs.
- Depressed shorebird populations, resulting in lower demand for eggs.

Research methods:
- Capturing, measuring, and releasing shorebirds every 3-4 days to monitor their weight gain.
- Banding and tagging birds to estimate survival rates during migration.
- Weighing sampled birds to determine their condition and chances of reaching the Arctic.