Dunlin © Eugene Cheah

Rick Lanctot, Shorebird Working Group Chair

Information on banding efforts and resightings of the four subspecies of Dunlin (Calidris alpina actites, arcticola, kistchinski, pacifica and sakhalina) that breed in Russia or Alaska, and migrate through or winter in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) are needed for a migratory connectivity study.  The goal of this project is to identify subspecies-specific migratory patterns, site fidelity, and location of key migration and non-breeding areas.

This work will be complimented with an independent geolocation study on some of the same subspecies, and an analysis of migratory carry-over effects on the reproductive performance of C. a. arcticola.  Ultimately, this work will provide a greater understanding of the vulnerability of the different subspecies to current and future land developments within the EAAF. This work is the first phase of a proposed master’s thesis to explore facultative links between intertidal reclamation and population stability in Dunlin.

Anybody interested in providing data and/or collaborating is encouraged to contact Ben Lagasse (Master’s student, contact: ben.lagasse AT yahoo.com) or Rick Lanctot (EAAF Shorebird Working Group Chair, contact:  richard_lanctot AT fws.gov).