Wildlife

Welfare of Migratory Shorebirds

Shorebirds like godwits and sandpipers undertake extraordinary migrations requiring specific stopover sites; habitat loss at these sites creates welfare crises.

Key Facts

Bar-tailed godwits fly up to 11,000 km non-stop from Alaska to New Zealand
Weight loss during migration leaves birds severely depleted needing rapid refueling
Stopover sites in East Asia have lost 70% of tidal mudflat area to development
Hunting of migratory shorebirds continues in some countries along flyways
Climate-driven mismatches between migration timing and prey availability are emerging

Welfare Considerations

Migratory shorebird welfare at stopover sites is critical — birds arrive depleted and need rapid access to abundant food. Stopover habitat loss creates starvation stress and forces birds to continue migration before adequate recovery, causing suffering and mortality.

What You Can Do

Support Yellow Sea wetland protection as a global shorebird welfare priority
Advocate for migratory bird protection along all major flyway countries
Donate to organizations mapping and protecting critical shorebird stopover sites
Support climate action to address phenological mismatch threats to migratory birds