2 NORTHWARD MIGRATION OF SHOREBIRDS IN THE SHUANGTAIZIHEKOU

• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arctic; Eurasian Curlew; Red Knot; Whimbrel
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.545.851; http://www.wetlands-oceania.org/downloads/Barter Publications/STZHK Stilt Paper-OK.pdf

Comprehensive counts of shorebirds were conducted in the Shuangtaizihekou National Nature Reserve during both the 1998 and 1999 northward migrations. The 1998 survey took place in mid-May, whilst in 1999 the count occurred in late-April some three weeks earlier in the migration period. A total of 27,501 shorebirds of 29 species were counted in the late-April period compared to 63,641 of 36 species in mid-May. Shorebirds were distributed similarly throughout the Reserve in both years. The greater number present in mid-May is explained by the large populations of the later-arriving arctic-breeding species, such as Whimbrel, Great Knot, Red Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plover. Of these, most of the increase was due to greater numbers of Great Knot and Dunlin. Conversely, species that can migrate earlier, because they have more southerly breeding grounds, were present in greater numbers in the late-April count: Eurasian Curlew, Eastern Curlew and Kentish Plover. Bar-tailed Godwit and Grey Plover numbers were very similar in both years. Eleven species were present in internationally significant numbers in at least one of the two years. These were: Bar-tailed Godwit