New Hampshire hosts many shorebirds as a lay-over spot on their way south for the winter.
A flock of red knots pause for re-fueling before continuing south.(Courtesy Dr. Rob Robinson and the Delaware Shore Project)
Every fall at the end of their breeding season in northern Canada and the Arctic, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds head south to their winter feeding grounds in Central and South America
Some migrations are impressive indeed. Hudsonian godwits may fly 8,000 miles non-stop between breeding and wintering areas. And red knots migrate from the Arctic Circle to as far south as Tierra del Fuego.
Many of these birds pass through New Hampshire along the way. Hampton-Seabrook Marsh on the seacoast is a valuable feeding ground for migrating shorebirds. Hundreds may gather here at a time, resting and filling up on abundant food. Then they take off and head south to the next pit stop, which may be thousands of miles away. These important shorebird airports are called staging areas, and without them the birds would not have enough fuel to complete their journey.
Greater yellowlegs use the Hampton Marsh as a rest stop. Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant is in the background. (Courtesy New Hampshire Audubon)
For humans, staging areas are fantastic spots to see many species of shorebirds without travelling to the Arctic, or flying to Argentina ourselves. And these long-legged aviators are fun to watch as they wade through the marshes or dash along the wave lines, probing the mud and sand with their long bills.
Unfortunately, coastal and wetland development are reducing the number and size of suitable staging areas. Imagine taking off from Logan Airport with just enough fuel to get to Miami International, only to discover that the airport had disappeared. So biologists are working hard to ensure that critical reserves are established throughout the Americas.
