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| U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan | |
|---|---|
| Name | U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan |
| Caption | Shorebird migration on Atlantic coast |
| Established | 2001 |
| Jurisdiction | United States |
U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan
The U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan is a coordinated national framework developed to guide conservation of shorebirds along American coasts, wetlands, and inland habitats. It synthesizes priorities from federal agencies, state programs, nongovernmental organizations, and international treaties to address population declines, habitat loss, and threats across migratory networks. The Plan aligns with continental efforts and links to regional strategies to support species recovery, habitat protection, and research priorities.
The Plan was developed through collaboration among the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Canadian Wildlife Service, BirdLife International, and nonprofit partners such as American Bird Conservancy, National Audubon Society, Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, and Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences. It builds on international agreements including the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Ramsar Convention, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network partnership. Stakeholders included state agencies like Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and tribal governments such as the Tlingit and Wampanoag Nation. Scientific inputs came from institutions like Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Smithsonian Institution, University of Florida, University of California, Davis, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. The Plan integrates conservation science from researchers including those at Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Manomet, Point Blue Conservation Science, and Gulf Coast Bird Observatory.
Primary objectives align with population goals set by the Atlantic Flyway Council, Mississippi Flyway Council, Central Flyway Council, and Pacific Flyway Council and coordinate with international bodies including Environment and Climate Change Canada and Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The scope covers species lists consistent with the Partners in Flight priority lists, and addresses habitat types such as estuaries recognized under Chesapeake Bay Program, San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Padre Island National Seashore. The Plan targets threats identified by assessments from IUCN Red List, State Wildlife Action Plans, and analyses by National Audubon Society and BirdLife International. It defines measurable outcomes tied to directives from the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and complements recovery plans under the Endangered Species Act where applicable.
Priority species include shorebirds featured in continental assessments: Red Knot (Calidris canutus rufa), Semipalmated Sandpiper, Piping Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Black-bellied Plover, Marbled Godwit, Short-billed Dowitcher, American Oystercatcher, and Wilson's Plover. Habitats prioritized include coastal beaches managed by National Park Service units such as Cape Cod National Seashore, tidal flats within San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge, barrier islands like Assateague Island, estuaries such as Delaware Bay, and inland stopover wetlands including Rainwater Basin and Cheyenne Bottoms. The Plan references migratory corridors used by birds counted during surveys like the International Shorebird Survey and long-term monitoring at sites such as Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge and Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge.
Recommended actions emphasize habitat protection tools used by entities like U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuges, land acquisition via North American Wetlands Conservation Act grants, and restoration techniques applied by The Nature Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited. Strategies include beach management policies implemented at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, predator control programs coordinated with state wildlife agencies, and disturbance reduction measures inspired by guidelines from National Audubon Society and American Bird Conservancy. The Plan promotes best practices for oil spill response coordinated with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and United States Coast Guard, and climate adaptation planning consistent with National Climate Assessment recommendations. It encourages engagement with partners such as Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, and municipal bodies like City of New York for local implementation.
Implementation relies on cooperative agreements among federal agencies including the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Environmental Protection Agency, state wildlife agencies, tribal authorities, and NGOs like Audubon Society of Rhode Island and New Jersey Audubon Society. International coordination involves Canadian Wildlife Service and organizations within Latin America and Caribbean Council for Waterbird Conservation. Funding and project delivery often use mechanisms administered by North American Wetlands Conservation Council and philanthropic partners such as the Packard Foundation and Sierra Club Foundation. Citizen science programs including eBird, Christmas Bird Count, and the International Shorebird Survey provide volunteer capacity for surveys and outreach coordinated with universities and research centers including Virginia Tech and University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.
Monitoring protocols draw on methods from U.S. Geological Survey status and trends programs, standardized counts from Bird Studies Canada, and telemetry studies using collaborations with USFWS Banding Lab and telemetry researchers at Oregon State University. Research priorities involve studies of stopover ecology at sites like Delaware Bay and effects of sea-level rise modeled with inputs from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Adaptive management frameworks reference guidance from Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to iterate conservation actions based on population monitoring, genetic studies from Smithsonian Institution Conservation Biology Institute, and disease surveillance coordinated with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Plan operates within statutory frameworks including the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Endangered Species Act, and funding authorities such as the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and the Federal Duck Stamp Program. Policy instruments include state-level conservation designations under State Wildlife Action Plans and regulatory tools enforced by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service where marine protected areas intersect with shorebird habitats. Funding sources span federal appropriations, grants from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, mitigation funds linked to Department of Transportation projects, and private donations via organizations like Conservation International and Wildlife Conservation Society. International obligations under the Ramsar Convention and bilateral cooperation with Mexico and Canada shape cross-border conservation priorities.
Category:Bird conservation in the United States