Shorebirds are model organisms for illustrating the principles of ecology and excellent subjects for research. Their mating systems are as diverse as any avian group, their migrations push the limits of endurance, and their foraging is easily studied in the open habitats of estuaries and freshwater wetlands. This comprehensive text explores the ecology, conservation, and management of these fascinating birds. Beginning chapters examine phylogenetic relationships between shorebirds and other birds, and cover shorebird morphology, anatomy, and physiology. A section on breeding biology looks in detail at their reproductive biology. Because shorebirds spend much of their time away from breeding areas, a substantial section on non-breeding biology covers migration, foraging ecology, and social behavior. The text also covers shorebird demography, population size, and management issues related to habitat, predators, and human disturbances. Throughout, it emphasizes applying scientific knowledge to the conservation of shorebird populations, many of which are unfortunately in decline.

Intertidal mudflats are distinct, highly-productive marine habitats which provide important ecosystem services to the land-sea interface. In contrast to other marine habitats, and despite a large body of primary scientific literature, no comprehensive synthesis exists, such that the scattered knowledge base lacks an integrated conceptual framework. We attempt to provide this synthesis by pulling together and contextualizing the different disciplines, tools, and approaches used in the study of intertidal mudflats. The editor pays particular attention to relationships between the various components of the synthesis, both at the conceptual and the operational levels, validating these relationships through close interaction with the various authors.

Investigating the factors shaping the diversified patterns of habitat use and long-distance movements of migratory species is not only fundamental to understanding the ecology and evolution of migration, but also has direct conservation implications to more effectively preserving globally declining migrant populations. In my dissertation, I used coastal shorebirds as the focal species, and investigated how an ecological understanding in their habitat preferences, habitat quality, as well as migratory movement and migration strategies may inform conservation practices for these rapidly declining species at different scales.In Chapter 1, I quantified the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of local shorebird populations, and found that the upper tidal flats provided more than 70% of the cumulative foraging time for most shorebird populations, disproportionately greater than the size of this stretch of tidal flat. The results could explain why the population decline rates of many shorebird species have far exceeded the overall rate of tidal habitat loss, highlighting the importance of protecting upper tidal flats for the conservation of migratory shorebirds.In Chapter 2, I devised an entirely field-based approach to quantitatively evaluate the quality of a major stopover site for the declining Red Knot. I estimated that the Nanpu tidal flat was operating below, but remarkably close to, its carrying capacity. This approach needs to be applied more broadly to more accurately evaluate how the Red Knot population may respond to changes in habitat quality.In Chapters 3 and 4, I tracked the annual migration of two small shorebird species, Red-necked Stint and Red-necked Phalaropes, using light-level geolocators. Tracking the annual movement of migratory species not only sheds light on the species-specific migration patterns, but also contributes to understanding the factors shaping migration strategies and the vulnerability of these strategies to different anthropogenic threats.Taken together, this dissertation investigated some of the key ecological questions regarding the migration and stopover ecology of migratory, with direct conservation implications in identifying the factors that affect the vulnerability of migratory species to various anthropogenic threats at different scales.

Horseshoe crabs, those mysterious ancient mariners, lured me into the sea as a child along the beaches of New Jersey. Drawn to their shiny domed shells and spiked tails, I could not resist picking them up, turning them over and watching the wondrous mechanical movement of their glistening legs, articulating with one another as smoothly as the inner working of a clock. What was it like to be a horseshoe crab, I wondered? What did they eat? Did they always move around together? Why were some so large and others much smaller? How old were they, anyway? What must it feel like to live underwater? What else was out there, down there, in the cool, green depths that gave rise to such intriguing creatures? The only way to find out, I reasoned, would be to go into the ocean and see for myself, and so I did, and more than 60 years later, I still do.

The apparent decline in numbers among many species of migratory songbirds is a timely subject in conservation biology, particularly for ornithologists, ecologists, and wildlife managers. This book is an attempt to discuss the problem in full scope. It presents an ambitious, comprehensive assessment of the current status of neotropical migratory birds in the U.S., and the methods and strategies used to conserve migrant populations. Each chapter is an essay reviewing and assessing the trend from a different viewpoint, all written by leaders in the fields of ornithology, conservation, and population biology.