Discriminating Overwintering Origins of a Long-Distance Migratory
Shorebird Staging in the Midcontinent Flyway
Abstract
Long-distance migratory shorebird populations are experiencing
widespread global declines. However, challenges exist in accurately
tracing full hemispheric movements throughout the annual cycle, which
has implications for monitoring population dynamics through time.
Measurements of naturally occurring stable isotope abundance in avian
tissues are an effective means to infer movement and migration,
particularly when mark-recapture approaches are not feasible. We
analyzed stable isotopes (δ2H, δ13C, δ15N) of winter-grown flight
feathers of Sanderling (Calidris alba) collected from (a) individuals of
known wintering origin throughout North and South America and (b)
migrants of unknown origin captured at a major northern staging site at
Chaplin Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada, in the Midcontinent flyway
(2012-2020). The goal was to classify overwintering locations of the
migrant population and assess whether winter origin was associated with
morphometrics on the northern staging grounds. Feathers sampled from
known-origin birds wintering at three latitudinally distinct sites
(coastal Texas, USA; Paracas, Peru; Chiloé Island, Chile) were
isotopically distinct but showed overlapping isotope values with Chaplin
Lake staging migrants. Chaplin Lake migrant Sanderlings were separated
into five unique isotopic clusters representing potential distinct
wintering populations and the relative proportions of migrants from each
cluster varied among years. Isotopic clusters were associated with wing
length and probable migration distance. Discriminant function analysis
classified the majority (70%) of Sanderling captured at Chaplin Lake
with winter origins in the US coastal Texas region, while another 8%
likely wintered in coastal Peru, 6% in coastal Chile, and 15% were of
unknown winter origin. Band resights of overwintering birds throughout
the Americas further validated isotopic assignments. With increased
knowledge of range-wide isotopic differences in winter-grown feathers,
wing morphology, and moult schedules, feather isotopic assignment of
wintering origin is a powerful tool to apply throughout flyways to
better understand the connectivity of distinct shorebird populations and
complement population monitoring efforts