Migratory shorebirds face welfare challenges at every stage of their remarkable journeys, from breeding grounds to wintering sites.
Migratory shorebirds experience the compounded welfare challenges of extreme endurance migration, temporary high-density congregation at stopover sites, vulnerability to hunting pressure along flyways, and habitat loss at multiple points on their range. Breeding birds are particularly sensitive to disturbance, with brief flushing events sometimes causing chick mortality through hypothermia or predation. Protection of key intertidal and freshwater habitats, along with reduction of hunting pressure in key flyway countries, are the most impactful welfare and conservation interventions available.