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A lack of suitable roosts increases the threat of intertidal foraging habitat loss to migratory shorebirds

Cheng, Chuyu LU ; Hedenström, Anders LU ; Zhang, Shou Dong ; Fang, Yihao ; Yang, Sen ; Bai, Qing Quan ; Liu, Yang and Ma, Zhijun (2025) In Journal of Applied Ecology 62(7). p.1647-1658
Abstract

The loss of intertidal foraging habitats at stopover sites is the primary cause of population declines in many migratory shorebirds. However, the absence of high-tide roosts can exacerbate this impact by increasing the energy consumed for alarm flights and longer commutes between foraging and roosting sites, which have been poorly quantified during time-constrained spring stopovers. We monitored alarm flights at roosts using camera traps and tracked the commutes between roosting and foraging sites of great knots (Calidris tenuirostris) and bar-tailed godwits (Limosa lapponica) at Yalu Jiang Estuary, a critical stopover site for shorebirds in the North Yellow Sea. We analysed the energy costs of alarm flights by human disturbances and... (More)

The loss of intertidal foraging habitats at stopover sites is the primary cause of population declines in many migratory shorebirds. However, the absence of high-tide roosts can exacerbate this impact by increasing the energy consumed for alarm flights and longer commutes between foraging and roosting sites, which have been poorly quantified during time-constrained spring stopovers. We monitored alarm flights at roosts using camera traps and tracked the commutes between roosting and foraging sites of great knots (Calidris tenuirostris) and bar-tailed godwits (Limosa lapponica) at Yalu Jiang Estuary, a critical stopover site for shorebirds in the North Yellow Sea. We analysed the energy costs of alarm flights by human disturbances and commuting using flight energetic models. Camera trap monitoring revealed that 20 of 67 (29.9%) roosting records at aquaculture ponds recorded human disturbance that resulted in alarm flights. Birds travelled 2.8 times farther than the optimal commuting distance when nearby high-tide roosts were available. Flight energetic models estimated that alarm flights and extended commuting resulted in an additional energy expenditure of 355.9–902.3 kJ, equivalent to 3–4 days of foraging effort based on food intake rates. Synthesis and applications. Foraging sites and nearby high-tide roosts are integral habitat components for shorebirds to acquire energetic surpluses, especially at migration staging areas. While protecting intertidal flats to provide foraging habitats for shorebirds, human activities should be minimised and disturbance should be avoided at aquaculture sites during the high-tide periods of spring tides to provide safe roosts for shorebirds. Artificial roost structures (floating roosts, roost islands, etc.,) could also be an effective solution for providing additional roosting habitats for shorebirds.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
energy expenditure, habitat management, high-tide roost, human disturbance, human-managed wetlands, shorebird, stopover, Yellow Sea
in
Journal of Applied Ecology
volume
62
issue
7
pages
12 pages
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:105007226921
ISSN
0021-8901
DOI
10.1111/1365-2664.70077
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
12cbf0a2-e99d-45be-bb0a-f60413e0520a
date added to LUP
2025-09-19 13:03:49
date last changed
2025-09-26 16:38:27
@article{12cbf0a2-e99d-45be-bb0a-f60413e0520a,
  abstract     = {{<p>The loss of intertidal foraging habitats at stopover sites is the primary cause of population declines in many migratory shorebirds. However, the absence of high-tide roosts can exacerbate this impact by increasing the energy consumed for alarm flights and longer commutes between foraging and roosting sites, which have been poorly quantified during time-constrained spring stopovers. We monitored alarm flights at roosts using camera traps and tracked the commutes between roosting and foraging sites of great knots (Calidris tenuirostris) and bar-tailed godwits (Limosa lapponica) at Yalu Jiang Estuary, a critical stopover site for shorebirds in the North Yellow Sea. We analysed the energy costs of alarm flights by human disturbances and commuting using flight energetic models. Camera trap monitoring revealed that 20 of 67 (29.9%) roosting records at aquaculture ponds recorded human disturbance that resulted in alarm flights. Birds travelled 2.8 times farther than the optimal commuting distance when nearby high-tide roosts were available. Flight energetic models estimated that alarm flights and extended commuting resulted in an additional energy expenditure of 355.9–902.3 kJ, equivalent to 3–4 days of foraging effort based on food intake rates. Synthesis and applications. Foraging sites and nearby high-tide roosts are integral habitat components for shorebirds to acquire energetic surpluses, especially at migration staging areas. While protecting intertidal flats to provide foraging habitats for shorebirds, human activities should be minimised and disturbance should be avoided at aquaculture sites during the high-tide periods of spring tides to provide safe roosts for shorebirds. Artificial roost structures (floating roosts, roost islands, etc.,) could also be an effective solution for providing additional roosting habitats for shorebirds.</p>}},
  author       = {{Cheng, Chuyu and Hedenström, Anders and Zhang, Shou Dong and Fang, Yihao and Yang, Sen and Bai, Qing Quan and Liu, Yang and Ma, Zhijun}},
  issn         = {{0021-8901}},
  keywords     = {{energy expenditure; habitat management; high-tide roost; human disturbance; human-managed wetlands; shorebird; stopover; Yellow Sea}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{1647--1658}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Journal of Applied Ecology}},
  title        = {{A lack of suitable roosts increases the threat of intertidal foraging habitat loss to migratory shorebirds}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.70077}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/1365-2664.70077}},
  volume       = {{62}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}