Phenology of southward migration of shorebirds in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway and inferences about stop-over strategies
Chi-Yeung Choi A M , Ken G. Rogers B , Xiaojing Gan C , Robert S. Clemens A , Qing-Quan Bai D , Amanda Lilleyman E , Ann Lindsey F , David A. Milton G H , Phil Straw I , Yat-tung Yu J , Phil F. Battley K , Richard A. Fuller A and Danny I. Rogers L
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
B 340 Ninks Road, St Andrews, Vic. 3761, Australia.
C 28 Rosary Crescent, Highgate Hill, Brisbane, Qld 4101, Australia.
D Dandong Forestry Bureau, Liaoning Province, CN-118000 Dandong, People’s Republic of China.
E Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, NT 0909, Australia.
F Hunter Bird Observers Club Inc., PO Box 24, New Lambton, NSW 2305, Australia.
G Queensland Wader Study Group, 336 Prout Road, Burbank, Qld 4156, Australia.
H Present address: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia.
I Avifauna Research & Services Pty Ltd, PO Box 2006, Rockdale, NSW 2216, Australia.
J Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, 7C, V Ga Building, 532 Castle Peak Road, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
K Ecology Group, Institute of Agriculture and Environment, PN 624, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
L Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, 123 Brown Street, Heidelberg, Vic. 3084, Australia.
M Corresponding author. Email: choimo@yahoo.com
Emu 116(2) 178-189 https://doi.org/10.1071/MU16003
Submitted: 5 January 2016 Accepted: 11 March 2016 Published: 26 April 2016
Abstract
The southward migration strategies of shorebirds remain poorly understood in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, yet understanding such strategies is critical to shorebird conservation. We estimate passage dates of 28 species of shorebird from count data at 15 sites to infer their migration strategies, using Thompson’s modelling approach. Our estimates of passage dates were consistent with available tracking data, giving us confidence that the modelled estimates were accurate. For large-bodied shorebirds, modelled departure dates from the northern Yellow Sea were similar to arrival dates throughout Australia, and their arrival dates in different regions in Australia were also similar, suggesting they flew directly from Asian staging areas to Australian non-breeding areas, or stopped only very briefly on the way. In contrast, small-bodied species apparently made multiple stops, especially in northern Australia, during their migration to their final non-breeding destinations. These differing patterns suggest that larger species in this Flyway depend on a small number of staging sites, whereas smaller species migrate in shorter steps and require additional staging sites between the northern Yellow Sea and Australasia. It is likely that some of these sites have not as yet been discovered, and that conservation of small shorebird species requires a more complete accounting of unknown and understudied staging sites.
Additional keywords: body size, citizen science, migration strategy, phenology, staging, wader.
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