Western Atlantic Shorebird Association

Read more about WASA's inaugural project, the International Banding Project.

Red Knot

Red Knot is colour banded in Delaware
Photo: M. D. Dennison

Introduction
The first research project to be part of WASA is the International Banding Project which is being led by Professor Allan Baker, Canada and Patricia M. González, Argentina. This project is colour-banding Red Knots (Calidris canutus rufa), Sanderlings (Calidris alba) and Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) along the Atlantic coast of the Americas in an effort to establish their migratory strategies.

The primary goals of this project are to:

Assess the population sizes for the three species, especially Red Knots, from colour band resightings
Find arctic breeding areas for Red Knot and estimate annual rates of recruitment for the population
Monitor the patterns of moult and fat deposition in migrating flocks
Establish the primary stopover sites for these shorebird species on the Flyway

Geographic Locations
The project is working with local scientists, wildlife managers, students and volunteers in four main locations on the flyway:
In the Canadian Arctic, a team has spent last two summers searching for breeding Red Knots in and around Southampton Island, Northwest Territories. They recently reported finding a colour-banded Knot at a nest. Read more....
In Delaware Bay, United States, project members and volunteers have been colour banding shorebirds on both sides of the bay in May and June each year since 1995.
In Brazil, expeditions have been to the estuaries in southern Brazil which are important stopovers for Red Knots and Turnstones in particular.
In Argentina, the project works in collaboration with the Fundación Inalafquen to study shorebirds. Two key areas are Tierra del Fuego, the main wintering area, and San Antonio Oeste which is an important early stopover for Red Knots and Ruddy Turnstones migrating north in March.

Cannon net

Cannon net firing over resting shorebirds at Rio Grande, southern Argentina
Photo: M. K. Peck

Banding Techniques
Cannon-netting is the main live capture technique used. Mist-netting is sometimes used. Small flocks are netted and the birds are held briefly in holding containers on site.

Captured birds are banded with a uniquely numbered metal band. Study species are also banded with colour flags and bands. Read more....

In addition to banding, birds are measured and weighed, and scored for wing moult and body condition.

Participating Groups and Institutions
The following Institutions have participated in the project:

Royal Ontario Museum, Canada
Fundación Inalafquen, Argentina
CEMAVE, Brazil
US Fish & Wildlife Service, USA
Wash Wader Ringing Group, UK
British Trust for Ornithology, UK
Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Durham, UK
Netherland Institute for Sea Research, Netherlands
Victoria Wader Study Group, Australia
New Jersey Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife, Endangered Non-Game Species Program, USA
Delaware Coastal Program, USA
Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, USA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Estuarine Research Reserve Program, USA

Funding and Support
The project has been operated by funds and support in kind from the following groups and institutions:

Royal Ontario Museum, Canada
US Fish & Wildlife Service, USA
New Jersey Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife, Endangered Non-Game Species Program, USA
Delaware Coastal Program, USA
Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, USA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Estuarine Research Reserve Program, USA

Contacts
The project leaders are:

Professor Allan J. Baker
Center for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology
Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queen's Park
Toronto, Canada
M5S 2C6

Patricia M. González
Fundación Inalafquen
CC 84 - 8520
San Antonio Oeste
Río Negro
Argentina
Email: patriciag@canaldig.com.ar

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