Year: 2003
Type: article
Abstract: Our studies in the Fraser River Delta, British Columbia, Canada, show that shorebirds that normally feed in the intertidal zone by day make greater use of terrestrial habitats for foraging than had previously been supposed, especially at night.We highlight the importance of shorebird ecologists extending their studies to evaluate fully the use of non-marine habitats and the significance of night-feeding.We outline the techniques that can be used to monitor habitat use and foraging strategies on a 24-hour day basis.We also draw attention to the importance of passing the results of such studies to land-use planners so that they can include key terrestrial habitats in management plans for coastal wetland sites.tinction" (p.21, Myers et al. 1987).Conservation and restoration plans for key coastal wetland sites may provide further benefits to shorebird popu-lations by incorporating adjacent terrestrial habitats in addition to intertidal marine and wetland habitats.The availability of intertidal foraging habitats varies with the tidal cycle, and birds may be completely excluded from certain sites during high tides.Where suitable adjacent habitat exists, some shorebird species move from intertidal areas to feed in nearby fields as high tides, lower temperatures, and rainfall reduce the profitability of foraging at intertidal sites (Goss-Custard 1969, Kelly & Cogswell 1979, Page et al. 1979,
Institution: Simon Fraser University
Language: English
Topic: Avian ecology and behavior
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2401251496