The “Connecting the Dots: International Shorebird Conservation Initiative” was launched in 2005 by Dr. David Mizrahi, Vice President for Research and Monitoring at New Jersey Audubon (NJA). This program addresses the importance of ecological connectivity between habitats critical to conserving migratory shorebirds in the Western Hemisphere and the human communities that depend on them. This year, five women dedicated to shorebird conservation participated in this experience.
The monitoring campaign in Delaware Bay (United States), was implemented from 3 May to 3 June 2024, focusing on two species, the Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) and the Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus). As a result, more than 2,380 individuals were processed, a record for the team led by Dr. Mizrahi.
The initiative not only works in Delaware Bay but also, since 2008, in Brazil, Suriname, and French Guiana, supporting capacity building of the Gulf of Fonseca team in Central America. To date, forty-eight volunteers from fourteen countries have participated and received training through their involvement in the banding campaigns. Among them, were Tamiris Lima from Brazil, Tifany Amatali from Suriname, Priscila Pellissier Perez from Peru, and Eliana Montenegro from Ecuador, who participated in the 2024 edition. Each has different projects, but they all have one thing in common: the Semipalmated Sandpiper.
Left: A Semipalmated Sandpiper flagged in Brazil that arrived in Delaware 3 months later. Right: Priscila, Tifany, and Tamiris; Tifany takes blood samples, and Pricila learns to take the sample. Photos by Salvadora Morales
Fattening up for travel
In late April, Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) found in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Suriname, and Nicaragua prepare to migrate to the Arctic. They feed frantically to store fat in their abdomen, belly, and sides of their bodies, doubling their body weight. The shorebirds know precisely when it is time to take flight; they will travel day and night, traveling thousands of kilometers and facing hundreds of challenges until they reach their following stopover site on the East Coast of the United States, the Delaware Bay WHSRN site. Here, the birds will refuel and rest until they retake flight to reach their Arctic nesting site.
During the first few days in Delaware Bay, shorebird activity is 100% about feeding, fattening, and resting. Meanwhile, participants prepare equipment and receive training on setting up Wooshnet trapping nets. Each bird will be tagged with a leg flag, a technique used in the study of wild birds, adding a small plastic or metal tag, with an individually numbered code, to their legs. Each bird has its code, allowing observers and researchers to recognize them during their migratory stops.
Left: Team learning about the installation of Keeping Cages. Right: Priscila and Tamiris learning to hold birds for flag tagging. Photos: Salvadora Morales
David Mizrahi has been learning and improving his techniques for 20 years. He reads the landscape, the tide, the Horseshoe Crabs, the movement of the shorebirds, and then decides when, where, and in which direction to set the nets. The 2024 banding campaign was considered a success; the day with the lowest number of captures was just over 60 individuals, a fascinating number.
The days started early in the morning with cold, windy, and drizzling weather. In the group, we heard various languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and the one that unites the whole team, English. Listening to the instructions and acting sometimes became slow, as one must listen, translate, and act. You must act fast; time is crucial for the safety of the birds and the results.
Every day in Delaware Bay, there is a learning laboratory. Gradually, each of the participants learned through the different roles assigned, such as setting up nets, extracting birds, recording data, setting flags, taking blood samples, taking feather samples, installing life tags on some of the birds captured, and then going to the lab to separate the plasma from the blood. David and Lena Usyk’s teaching methodology is immersive; the experience is intense, and learning is constant throughout the camp.
The initiative’s structure allows learning, practicing, and, simultaneously, helping to train the other team members in different aspects of the fieldwork. Priscila Pellissier, a member of the Center for Ornithology and Biodiversity (CORBIDI), commented that this methodology not only reinforced her learning but also fostered an environment of collaboration and mutual support. Priscila mentions, “I especially remember a colleague from Suriname whom I taught how to hold the birds and pass them from hand to hand. Then, it was she who taught me how to take blood samples. Over time, her confidence grew so much that she became one of the specialists in blood sampling. This exchange of roles and responsibilities – under the supervision of Dr. Mizrahi and Lena Usyk – empowers and consolidates our skills.”
“Connecting the Dots” 2024 team
Salvadora, Tamaris, and Tifany. Photo: Salvadora Morales
For Tamiris, a monitoring technician with the Migratory Bird Project (PAM) of the NGO Aquasis in Brazil, the exchange in Delaware Bay was a turning point in her life. “I returned to Brazil and the project I work on with new eyes and now with more experience. But there is still, and always is, much to learn. This trip not only exceeded my expectations but transformed me into a professional. I arrived with fears, but thanks to the support and experience shared by everyone, I returned with a new perspective and confidence, with the feeling of having overcome the challenges.”
After four weeks and hundreds of hours of hard work, more than 2,000 birds were processed. All participants agreed it was a fantastic experience to share and learn from; the most challenging part was the extreme fatigue from the marathon days. The truth is that Delaware Bay and its shorebirds are an epic experience.
Long-term bird monitoring is crucial for informed management and decision-making. However, having the opportunity to receive specialized training and then apply it in the Neotropics is invaluable. The training of these five women in Delaware Bay was made possible through the support of Manomet Conservation Sciences, New Jersey Audubon, Aquasis, and Environment for the Americas.
If you want to learn more about the “Connecting the Dots” initiative, please contact David Mizrahi at david.mizrahi@njaudubon.org.
Cover Photo: Semipalmated Sandpipers by Salvadora Morales
