Explore Data
MSP has large, rich data sets from years of collecting observations from citizen scientists.
What’s New?
Join the largest flock on the Pacific American Flyway
It’s time to count us!
Between November 15, 2022 and February 15, 2023, more than 600 people from 50 organizations and volunteers visited nearly 130 coastal wetlands from Canada to Chile, to carry out the counts of the Migratory Shorebird Project.
Shorebirds use aggregation sites from southern Canada to southern Chile. During the months of September to March, while the boreal winter happend, they use wintering sites.
Every year, MSP Partners take advantage of these shorebird flocks to learn about their population trends and understand the importance of the sites along the Pacific American Flyway.
Be ready to join the flock!
Visit the Survey Resources section to see the Field Protocol.
Migratory Shorebird Project 2021-2022 Annual Progress Report now available!
Click here for the 2021-2022 Report
General developments in 2021-2022
- Completed 12th year of surveys at most sites (November 2021 – February 2022) in North America, 8th year in Central America, and the 9th year in South America.
- Data collected by >510 volunteers, researchers, and local communities at >100 sites (>2000 survey units).
- Three new papers were published with data collected by different partners, see Canada, Mexico and South America reports for details.
- Contributed MSP to the Story Map of the Pacific Americas Shorebird Conservation Initiative.
- MSP data used to support the designation of a new Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site in Chile – Las Salinas de Huentelaquén
- Developed models to understand (1) changes in shorebirds habitats during the last 20 years, (2) trends in trend analyses for 6 species across 23 sites between Mexico and Peru, (3)
distribution and habitat use of shorebirds in Guatemala, (4) temporal trends in shorebirds in Ecuasal salt works in Ecuador, and (5) influence of weather variation on the distribution and abundance of shorebirds in Northwest Mexico. - Supported students and fellows: 5 master degree students, 1 undergraduate student and 5 Coastal Solution Fellows are using MSP data to complete their research or support decisionmaking.
- 11 presentations of the science of MSP will be presented as part of a symposium focused on the MSP at the upcoming Western Hemisphere Shorebird Group Meeting.
MSP Science
Impact of human disturbance on the abundance of non-breeding shorebirds in a subtropical wetland
In the recent paper from Palacios et al. (2022) MSP data helped to show that where there is more potential for human disturbance there are lower abundances of migratory shorebirds during the non-breeding season. Read more here!
Distribution and abundance of shorebirds in tidal flats of Sanquianga National Natural Park and the mouth of Iscuandé, Nariño (Colombia), between 2009 and 2020
MSP surveys were key to characterize the composition of shorebird communities in the mouth of Iscuandé River (IS) and the Sanquianga National Natural Park (SNNP), in Colombia. The paper show the proportional abundance, prevalence and mean density there, of ten years of standardized counts for these sites. Read more here!
Data in Action
Over the last two years MSP data have contributed to the successful nomination of 3 Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) sites (Golfo de Nicoya in Costa Rica, Canal de Jambeli in Ecuador and Humedal Marino de Chamiza in Chile) and a Ramsar site in Peru (Estuario de Virrila). You can explore the MSP data from these sites and more using our online data summary tools.
Outreach
Through MSP’s participation in the Pacific Americas Shorebird Conservation Initiative (PASCI), we have seen MSP data now serve as the cornerstone of measuring the success of PASCI while also driving one of its key strategies of increasing capacity. Recently the work of the MSP was highlighted as part of the PASCI story map – see it here).
Become part of the Migratory Shorebird Project
Join this ambitious 10-year, multi-partner research project to help guide shorebird conservation. You will be part of the team protecting shorebirds and wetlands from Alaska to Peru through research for conservation.
We need your help, as a scientist, a volunteer scientist, an educator, or funder.
Data analysis workshop with Migratory Shorebird Project partners at the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Group meeting during October 2019 in Panama City, Panama.
How to Get Involved
Willets and Marbled Godwits.
The Migration Phenomenon
Each year, millions of shorebirds migrate in waves from their wintering grounds along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts to their nesting grounds in Alaska and Northern Canada, including many that stop at just a few rich feeding spots along the way.