Shorebird Habitat Loss and Individual Welfare

Intertidal and estuarine habitats that shorebirds depend upon are being lost to sea level rise and development, causing food stress in millions of individual birds.

Key Facts

Wading birds including dunlin, knot, redshank, and oystercatcher depend on intertidal mudflats for feeding
Global intertidal habitat is declining by 1-2% annually due to sea level rise and coastal development
Knot rely on horseshoe crab eggs on the US East Coast during northward migration
Individual shorebirds may fly 10,000+ km between wintering and breeding grounds each year
Inadequate feeding habitat causes birds to arrive at breeding grounds in poor condition

Welfare Considerations

Shorebirds undertaking long-distance migration require reliable, high-quality feeding stops to refuel for transcontinental journeys. Habitat loss at key stopover sites causes nutritional stress affecting individual survival and breeding success. Birds unable to accumulate sufficient fat reserves for migration face exhaustion, starvation, and death during crossing. The welfare of individual migratory shorebirds is directly linked to the quality of intertidal habitats at multiple sites across their flyway.

What You Can Do

Support coastal habitat restoration projects protecting intertidal mudflats
Advocate for coastal managed realignment to compensate for sea level rise habitat loss
Choose seafood not harvested from critical shorebird feeding areas
Donate to shorebird conservation organisations working across international flyways