Protecting critical roost sites that maintain shorebird welfare and population viability.
Shorebird roost protection represents a convergence of individual welfare and population conservation, as disturbed birds expend limited energy reserves that are critical during long-distance migration. The welfare cost of roost disturbance is directly measurable in energy budget terms - disturbed birds arrive at subsequent stopovers in worse body condition, reducing survival and reproductive success. The concentrated nature of shorebird roosts at critical sites means that human behavioral modification at a small number of locations can have outsized welfare benefits at flyway scale. Citizen science monitoring and stewardship programs create the local engagement needed to sustain roost protection over time.