A survey of migratory shorebirds in Ellis County, Kansas, 1968

• Main Author: Schreiber, Richard Kent
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Fort Hays State University 1969
• Subjects: Biology; Dunlin
• Online Access: http://contentcat.fhsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/thesis/id/2408

Shorebirds were studied in Ellis County, Kansas from 22 March to 15 November, 1968. Objectives of the study were to: 1) determine the relative frequency and migration peaks and periods of charadriiform birds and, 2) investigate factors relating to their distribution in the county. A total of 3658 shorebirds of 22 species was observed during 109 trips during the migration season. Twenty-two species totaling 1222 individuals were recorded in the spring compared to 17 species totaling 2436 birds in fall. Three spring peaks and two fall peaks were evident. The Killdeer was the most abundant species, followed by the Spotted Sandpiper and Baird Sandpiper in the spring and the Upland Plover and Western Sandpiper in the fall. The Dunlin, Hudsonian Godwit and Northern Phalarope were recorded in the county for the first time. A relationship appeared to exist between spring population peaks and the passage of low pressure weather systems.