111817

Study factors that drive population trends of shorebirds using rocky intertidal habitats during their overwintering period in BC, including Rock Sandpiper, Surfbird, Black Turnstone, and Wandering Tattler. To do this, we will capture and collect biological samples from birds (feathers, blood, and nails), and deploy a subset with GPS tags. We will use these data to determine the foraging ecology, body condition, and home range of birds, and how these factors relate to local environmental conditions and prey availability. We will compare results from Helliwell Park to a study site on the Sunshine Coast to assess how local conditions, particularly the herring spawn, impact birds.