Spring Stopover Puts Delaware at Center of Annual Shorebird Migration Phenomenon

Shorebirds of different species gather on Delaware Bay beaches during spring migration /Photo: Rob Robinson for Delaware DNREC

Shorebird Enthusiasts and Beachgoers Advised to 'Share
The 'Shore' Giving the Beloved Little Birds a Wide Berth

Each May, thousands of shorebirds of different species pause their marathon migration - while enroute from wintering in South America back to their Arctic breeding grounds - to refuel in Delaware Bay. There, monitored from the moment they arrive by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and DNREC's Delaware Shorebird Project, they feast for several weeks on the massive spawning of horseshoe crab eggs, an interconnecting system that goes back millennia - and makes for a modern-day ecological spectacle like no other in the animal kingdom.

And as the spectacle of this incredible migratory event turns Delaware into a destination for nature lovers the world over, shorebird project leader Kat Christie wants the birds' stopover for necessities to be as uneventful as possible for species such as federally listed threatened and state endangered red knots, ruddy turnstones, sanderlings and semipalmated sandpipers.

"Since some of these species have been in decline in recent years, it's very important for visitors and residents alike to make sure the birds have the space they need to forage, fatten up, and depart in time to breed successfully," said Christie, DNREC's coastal waterbird biologist. "Delaware has an outsized impact on these species, some of which range from Argentina to the far north Arctic regions, and we all have an opportunity to do our part in strengthening their declining populations."

As more of the birds join in the migratory spectacle over the next two weeks on the Delaware Bayshore, beachgoers are asked to "Share the 'Shore" with them, said Anthony Gonzon, DNREC Environmental Program Manager for Wildlife Diversity - respecting space for foraging flocks by walking around them at a remove or avoiding areas birds might be using to feed or rest and preventing pets or children from chasing birds. "These small individual actions can help the birds preserve the energy they need for surviving the homeward flight without wasting it on unnecessary running, flying, and stress," Gonzon said.

Beachgoers may also encounter shorebird project survey volunteers on the state's beaches in the coming weeks, as well as volunteer beach stewards at Slaughter Beach and Bowers Beach - all engaging in outreach and awareness on behalf of the various shorebird populations arriving on the Delaware Bayshore. And as the birds' stopover is instinctively attuned to a period of peak horseshoe crab spawning, avoiding unnecessary disturbances is crucial to a successful return flight to their Arctic breeding grounds.

DNREC monitors these visiting populations for data that can help their survival - and hopefully, species' revival - through a decades-long partnership with the Delaware Shorebird Project within the Division of Fish and Wildlife. Every year from May 1 to June 3, the shorebird project team led by Christie intensively charts the birds' movement along the Delaware Bayshore where the team counts flocks, applies unique alphanumeric identifiers to the visiting shorebirds and conducts population-monitoring resighting surveys.

The project recorded its first shorebird "catch" of the season earlier this month, using cannon nets to capture, band and flag shorebirds. As of late May, six catches had been completed, enabling the project to collect valuable data on early arrivals used to gain a fine-scale understanding of stopover duration, using resighting observations of their leg flags throughout the season, as well as their arrival weight, prior to the peak of horseshoe crab egg availability.

Early indications offer optimism that numbers for the state endangered species red knot, while still far lower than those counted on the New Jersey side of the bay, will be higher for Delaware this year than in the previous two seasons. Lending credibility to the optimistic view, the shorebird project team was able to catch, band, and flag 45 red knots along with about 250 other shorebirds in a single day - with more than 200 red knots subsequently having been surveyed and outfitted with identifiers.

For more information about how these birds persevere in making their flight home - including their Delaware stopover that's integral in getting them there - visit the de.gov/shorebirds webpage. To view the shorebird and horseshoe crab interconnection, DNREC's DuPont Nature Center at the Mispillion Harbor Reserve in Slaughter Beach offers viewing opportunities from a reasonable distance. The center also boasts educational displays about the ecosystem the shorebirds and horseshoe crabs inhabit.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state's natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities, and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware's fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on more than 75,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, [email protected]; Nikki Lavoie, [email protected]

###