The population of a plump northern Alaska shorebird weighing just over 2 ounces has been declining for decades. Reversing that decline will require additional conservation efforts at some of the birds’ East Asia wintering grounds, according to new research. Development that has replaced coastal wetlands is considered a major factor in the decline of the […]
Pencil-beaked shorebirds with the ability to stay airborne for a week — flying all the way from Alaska to New Zealand — rely on a few crescents of mudflat to fuel that incredible journey. Scientists recently found that almost the entire population of bar-tailed godwits that breed in Alaska fatten up on clams and worms […]
Shorebirds breeding in Alaska are being exposed to mercury at levels that could put their populations at risk, according to new research from The Condor: Ornithological Applications. Thanks to atmospheric circulation and other factors, the mercury that we deposit into the environment tends to accumulate in the Arctic. Mercury exposure can reduce birds’ reproductive success […]