Work

Migration Ecology and Protection of Stopover Sites of the Whimbrels Along China's Coastal

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT To effectively establish a conservation network for migratory bird flyways in China, understanding the protection status of the East Asian‐Australasian Flyway (EAAF) along China's coastal regions is a prerequisite. Using satellite tracking data from 13 Whimbrels ( Numenius phaeopus ) in Hangzhou Bay (2018–2023), we found (1) After traversing the coastal and the Northeast Plain in China, the Whimbrels captured in Hangzhou Bay diverged into two distinct migration routes at 45°N–50° N. There was no difference in migration parameters between individuals on different routes, except for the speed of southward migration ( p < 0.05). (2) The Hangzhou Bay tracked individuals exhibited strong fidelity to this wetland and had a high degree of overlap in the concentrated activity zones there. (3) Combined with other published studies, we evaluated the protection gaps, revealing 73.1% (38 of 52) stopover sites fall within protected areas (primarily national‐level), but with stark regional disparities: inland regions (Inner Mongolia and Northeast China) showed lower protection coverage than coastal zones (East Sea‐South Sea and the Bohai Sea‐Yellow Sea of China). These integrated findings demonstrate that while China's coastal protected areas effectively cover most key Whimbrel habitats, critical inland stopovers remain unprotected. We recommend a need for greater conservation attention in inland regions. The findings of this study provide a theoretical foundation for effectively establishing a migratory bird flyway conservation network in China.

Source: Ecology and Evolution

DOI: 10.1002/ece3.71890