Migratory waders face welfare challenges during long-distance migration including exhaustion, predation at staging sites and habitat loss along flyway routes.
Migratory waders experience extreme physiological stress during long-distance migration including muscle catabolism, organ size changes and exhaustion. Disturbance at critical staging sites forces birds to expend limited energy reserves fleeing rather than feeding. Individual birds disturbed repeatedly at staging sites may depart in compromised condition with reduced survival prospects. Responsible behaviour at estuaries and coastal wetlands during autumn migration - keeping dogs on leads, maintaining distances from wader flocks - directly benefits the welfare of individual birds making epic journeys.