Habitat use by migrating and breeding shorebirds on the eastern Copper River delta, Alaska

Abstract

This study examines the phenology, species composition, relative abundance, patterns of habitat use, and resource partitioning by migrating and breeding shorebirds on the eastern Copper River Delta. The peak of spring migration in 1978 occurred on 11 May, several days later than normal. Interspecific competition for foraging space on intertidal mudflats was minimized by temporal differences in the peaks of migration of the most abundant species and by spatial segregation during feeding. Fall migration differed from spring migration in several ways: 1) different species composition, 2) lower densities of staging birds, 3) different patterns of habitat use, and 4) less habitat segregation between species. Forty-five nests of six species of shorebirds were located along 52 km of transects. The peak of nest initiation was between 25 May and 31 May. Over 75% of the nests occurred in three habitat types, all of which were dominated by varying degrees of sedge, grass, and moss.