East Coast Shorebird Survey – Spring 2005
The Endangered & Nongame Species Program, New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife is requesting volunteer observers along the Atlantic coast of the US, Florida to Maine and the gulf coast of Florida, to carry out ground surveys for red knot. Any and all help is welcome and much appreciated.
As the Horseshoe Crab population on the Delaware Bay stopover has declined, migrant shorebird numbers have also declined. We suspect there may be a shift in migration away from the Delaware Bay. This survey is an attempt to document the shift in migration timing and location of red knots along the Atlantic coast of the US.
We would like volunteers to conduct surveys on Saturday or Sunday, May 21or 22, 2005. During this period, we would expect peak numbers of shorebirds to be in the US.
If possible, we would also request that you carry out a second survey on Saturday or Sunday, May 28 or 29, 2005. These dates would be the next best survey period if you cannot complete a survey on May 21-22.
Observers should count or estimate the number of red knots on the survey site. If other shorebirds are present, particularly sanderling or ruddy turnstone, we would be grateful for counts/estimates of their numbers as well (but as a second priority).
SURVEY PROTOCOL:
Survey Date:
Saturday or Sunday, May 21 or 22, 2005 (priority)
Saturday or Sunday, May 28 or 29, 2005 (if you have the time or cannot make the previous survey)
Survey Time:
Surveys should be done within the four hours surrounding high tide (two hours before to two hours after high tide).
Survey Location:
Red knots like the most desolate, wind-swept location available well away from vegetation, but especially sandy spits or islands, unimproved inlets, etc. Observers should go to places where knots are known to occur, or survey several sites suspected to be good foraging or roosting locations for knots.
Estimate flock size or count individuals:
The greatest priority is to locate red knots and estimate their numbers – be wary of mixed roosting flocks of knots and short-billed dowitchers – they can look similar from a distance.
More detailed counts can be carried out on smaller flocks if you have the time.
IMPORTANT (optional): We are asking folks with spotting scopes to scan flocks of red knots for color flags and bands-- if you have the choice of making estimates of bird numbers and spending the remaining time scanning for color bands, that would be preferable (versus spending a great deal of time making very precise counts).
Scanning for color-marked red knots (optional):
Observers with spotting scopes are asked to scan flocks of red knots and search for birds with color flags.
As a first priority, please scan red knot flocks to find color flags – this will help us understand the timing of birds coming up from South America as well as the number of marked birds in the flock.
As a second and third priority, if you have the time, please scan red knot flocks for individually-marked birds with inscribed flags and color band combinations of birds without inscribed flags, respectively.
Backgound on Color Marked Birds: From 1997 to 2001, red knots have been marked with color flags in the US (Dark Green flag), Argentina (Orange Flag), Chile (Red Flag), and Canada (White Flag). Commencing in 2002, red knots banded have been banded with engraved flags in the Delaware Bay, NJ/DE (Lime Green Flag), Argentina (Orange), Chile (Red) and Canada (White). These flags are inscribed with two or three letters/numbers.
Each flag has a unique combination of letters/numbers so that we can identify individual birds by resighting them and reading the flag.
Please report survey results as quickly as possible (preferably by e-mail) to:
Dr Amanda Dey,
Endangered & Nongame Species Program,
NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife,
2201 Route 631,
Woodbine,
NJ 08270
Phone (before June 4) 1-609-465-6324 (after June 4) 1-609-259-6962
For more information on the Delaware Bay stopover and shorebird research, visit our website: