ISS in Kansas: an on-the-ground example of volunteers who can make a difference for shorebirds
When most folks think Kansas, they probably don't immediately think shorebirds. But at the heart of the Central Flyway, Kansas is a lynchpin of migration, acting as a key stopover on both the north- and south-bound routes. When conditions are favorable, it can be a migratory bird paradise, with tens of thousands of shorebirds stopping to rest and feed across the state from the Playa Lakes in the west to the large wetland complexes in the center to the tall-grass prairie in the east. But the shorebirds face a complex landscape. Migrants passing through the interior of the U.S. are affected by unpredictable weather patterns, ephemeral wetlands conditions, and less dependable food supplies. Add to this threats such as invasive plants, fragmentation, energy development, and urban growth, and the need for careful monitoring becomes obvious.
The midcontinent hosts impressive population slices of about a dozen shorebird species. GPS tracks seem to show nearly the entire population of Hudsonian Godwits passing through Kansas during spring migration. Significant portions of Baird's Sandpipers and Long-billed Dowitcher populations visit places like Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira NWR, both WHSRN sites. And 50% of all Buff-Breasted Sandpipers are hosted by the Flint Hills in the east, a tall grass prairie landscape that is part of Manomet's Coalitions for Shorebird Conservation.
Unfortunately, as Dr. Robert Penner, Avian Conservation Manager for The Nature Conservancy Kansas tells us, the lack of shorebird surveys currently being conducted in the state means a missed opportunity. At this point in time we only have three sites conducting ISS on a regular basis; Cheyenne Bottoms, Quivira NWR and Neosho Wildlife Area. Yet there are dozens of sites that have been identified as potentially important to shorebirds.
Because of the importance of Kansas to shorebirds, Dr. Penner is trying to increase the number of sites that are part of the International Shorebird Survey. This vital data is necessary to develop population trends, to target conservation efforts, to identify potential WHSRN sites, and to tell shorebird stories. Moreover, ISS in Kansas will be of major importance in the development of the Midcontinent Shorebird Conservation Initiative. The funds from this campaign can help with targeted recruitment, and with new enthusiastic contributors, we have reason to be optimistic.
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