The black-necked grebe undertakes remarkable mass moult migrations and its welfare depends on specific staging lakes with abundant food and safe roosting conditions.
Water level management at critical staging lakes directly affects food availability and bird welfare. Diversion of water from Great Salt Lake tributaries for agriculture has reduced lake levels and brine shrimp populations, threatening the welfare of millions of staging birds. Disturbance at roosting and moulting sites during the flightless period causes acute welfare stress as birds cannot escape.