Maine’s Shorebirds

26
Oct
18:30 - 19:30

A virtual talk by Brad Zitske, Wildlife Biologist, Bird Group at Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, that is co-sponsored by Friends of Scarborough Marsh. Shorebirds are a diverse group of birds that include sandpipers, plovers, turnstones, knots, curlews, dowitchers, and phalaropes. North America has the greatest diversity of shorebird species and largest numbers of shorebirds in the world.

Over thirty shorebird species spend some portion of their annual life cycle in Maine, with eight species breeding here. Shorebirds are an important group for management consideration, because large numbers of these birds concentrate in discrete areas of coastal habitat where they are highly susceptible to disturbance, development, and environmental contaminants. Scarborough Marsh supports many thousands of individuals by providing abundant feeding and roosting habitat. On the sandy beaches of Maine, the endangered Piping Plover can be seen during the summer months.

Brad Zitske will discuss some of the species found in Maine in this virtual talk. He will also present some interesting research happening in the state and along the Atlantic coast, why it is important given widespread population declines for many species, and how you can help conserve them.