Point Reyes Bird Observatory DBA Point Blue Conservation Science
$50,000  Blue Mountains, Columbia Plateau, East Cascades, Northern Basin & Range Ecoregions  Addresses drought

Together the wetlands and saline lakes of eastern Oregon provide a critical habitat network for breeding and migrating shorebirds, including the Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) and Snowy Plover (interior population; Charadrius nivosus). However, the network has been undergoing a functional decline because of drought and limited freshwater availability. In response habitat and water management decisions are occurring despite limited data on wetland- dependent migratory birds. This project aims to fill a data gap on wildlife concentrations and seasonal connectivity by documenting the distribution and abundance of migratory shorebirds at 12 key wetland sites in eastern Oregon. The project will coordinate systematic surveys for shorebirds at 12 sites each April and August from 2023-2025 using professional biologists and trained volunteers. The survey network will extend to >200 sites in 11 states, and survey data will be available to inform local-, state-, and regional- level conservation actions.