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(Williamsburg,
VA)---Scientists at the Center for Conservation Biology learned
today that a whimbrel that they had been tracking via satellite for
2 years as part of a migration study had been shot by a hunting
party this morning on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe (French
West Indies). The bird named “Machi” had just flown through Tropical
Storm Maria and made landfall on Montserrat before flying to
Guadeloupe. Machi had been tracked for over 27,000 miles (44,000 km)
back and forth between breeding grounds in the Hudson Bay Lowlands
of Canada to wintering grounds on the coast of Brazil. The bird was
tracked on 7 nonstop flights of more than 2,000 miles. During the
spring of 2010, Machi flew more than 3,400 miles directly from
Brazil to South Carolina. Machi serves as an example of birds that
interact with many landscapes and cultures throughout the year and a
reminder of how international cooperation is required for their
continued existence.
Guadeloupe,
Martinique and Barbados continue to operate “shooting swamps” some
of which are artificial wetlands created to attract migrant
shorebirds for sport shooting during fall migration. It is estimated
that tens of thousands of shorebirds continue to be taken annually
by hunting clubs on just these three islands. This practice is a
throwback to more than a century ago when gunners hunted shorebirds
throughout the Americas. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act was passed,
in part, to protect dwindling numbers of birds that migrate across
country borders. Operated as a French overseas department, both
Guadeloupe and Martinique are part of the European Union and are not
party to the Treaty. Barbados, once a British colony is now an
independent state and also not party to the Treaty. The last Eskimo
Curlew known to science was shot on Barbados in 1963. Shorebird
hunting within these areas continues to be unregulated to the
present time. Conservation organizations continue to work toward
some compromise that will reduce pressures on declining species.
Worldwide, many
shorebird populations are experiencing dramatic declines. Most of
the migratory shorebird species breeding in eastern North America
and the Arctic pass over the Caribbean region during the late summer
and early fall on their way to wintering grounds. When they
encounter severe storms the birds use the islands as refuges before
moving on to their final destinations. Hunting clubs take advantage
of these events and shoot large numbers of downed birds following
the passage of these storms. During the 2009 and 2010 fall
migrations, Machi did not stop on any of the islands but flew
directly from Virginia to Paramaribo, Suriname, before moving on to
winter near Sao Luis, Brazil. It appears that the encounter with
Tropical Storm Maria caused the bird to stop on Guadeloupe.
Machi contributed a
great deal to what we know about whimbrel migration along the
western Atlantic. Satellite tracks of this bird over 4 full
migrations (http://www.ccb-wm.org/programs/migration/Whimbrel/whimbrel.htm)
linked breeding and wintering areas, defined
migration routes, identified important migration staging areas, and
demonstrated how these birds interact with major tropical systems.
This tracking project is a collaborative effort between The Center
for Conservation Biology, The Nature Conservancy, The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the
Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, and Manomet Center for
Conservation Sciences. |
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FROM: Center
for Conservation Biology, College of William and Mary – Virginia
Commonwealth University
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE: 12 September 2011
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Dr. Bryan D.
Watts, Director
bdwatt@wm.edu
(757) 221-2247 office
(757) 272-4492 cell
Fletcher M. Smith,
Biologist
fmsmit@wm.edu
(757) 221-1617 office
(757) 678-6915
Center for
Conservation Biology
College of William
and Mary
Virginia Commonwealth
University
Barry Truitt,
Chief Conservation Scientist
btruitt@tnc.org
The Nature
Conservancy
Virginia Coast
Reserve Program
Brad Winn
bwinn@manomet.org
Manomet Center for
Conservation Science
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