Migratory shorebirds undertake extraordinary journeys requiring precisely timed refueling stops at specific coastal habitats that are rapidly disappearing to development.
Migratory shorebirds that cannot fuel adequately at stopover sites face physiological exhaustion and potential death during the next migration leg. Birds that arrive at breeding or wintering grounds in poor condition show reduced survival and reproduction. The loss of key stopover habitats therefore creates welfare crises across entire migration systems affecting birds throughout their range. Protecting even a single critical tidal flat can have continent-wide welfare benefits.