World Shorebirds Day, 2023

World Shorebirds Day is September 6th, 2023!

All across the Caribbean, birders will be compiling checklists from island to island and recording them on eBird Caribbean. Migratory shorebirds are more vulnerable than ever, threatened by human activities such as the destruction of their habitats, pollution, disturbance, and climate change. Recent analyses show that shorebirds in North America are declining more than any other group of birds; in fact, more than half of the 28 species studied were estimated to have lost more than 50% of their abundance in the last 30 years. Researchers need much more data on their movements, numbers, important sites, and threats so that they can better conserve them.  This year we are asking everyone to take part in the Global Shorebird Count which runs from September 1 to 7. Whether you’re in the Caribbean, Atlantic Flyway, or anywhere in the entire globe, you are invited to participate!

eBird Caribbean is a critical tool for tracking and understanding bird migration and population changes – never more so than for our shorebirds. If you do not have an account, it is easy to register – here’s a quick guide to entering eBird data online.  There is even a free eBird Essentials course to get you fully oriented.  Download the free mobile app for recording your data in the field.

Note that shorebirds are a type of waterbird and any counts you do at wetlands, mangroves, mudflats, coastal areas or beaches count as Caribbean Waterbird Census counts. To increase the value of your count to science, be sure to count ALL birds at your site, including seabirds, herons and egrets, land birds, etc.  When you do your counts please choose one of the CWC protocols in the eBird app or when you submit or edit your data online. When you are using the app make sure that you are using the eBird Caribbean Portal. To check or change the portal you are using, go into your settings on the app and look for “Portal.”

Make Your Shorebirds Count—Submit & Share Your Data!

To make your submitted data visible to World Shorebirds Day, please be sure to share your checklist with worldshorebirdsday eBird username of World Shorebirds Day, or add shorebirdsday@gmail.com email address, to your contact list, and share all your related checklists. Guidelines for sharing eBird checklists are here.  If you post to social media, be sure to use hashtags #showupforshorebirds, #WorldShorebirdsDay2023, #GlobalShorebirdsCount, and #WorldShorebirdsDay.

Need a quick reference for a shorebird you spotted? Check out the Shorebird Identification Guide for Bonaire!

What To Do if You See Banded Birds

Be sure to be on the lookout for banded birds! Especially Piping Plovers, Red Knots, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones, and Sanderlings. You may report your sightings to BandedBirds.org and the USGS Bird Banding Lab which oversee all banding in the United States.