Guidance and Best Practices for Coordinated Predation Management to Benefit Temperate Breeding Shorebirds in the Atlantic Flyway (Version 1.1)
Background & Description
American Oystercatcher
The Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative (AFSI) highlights predation as one of four primary anthropogenic threats to shorebird populations in the Atlantic Flyway, and highlights actions to be taken to address the threat. Between 2016 and 2019 biologists from the Virginia Tech Shorebird Program (VT), the Nature Conservancy (TNC), USDA Wildlife Services, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences developed the Guidance and Best Practices for Coordinated Predation Management to Benefit Temperate Breeding Shorebirds in the Atlantic Flyway. Dozens of biologists and managers in the flyway contributed extensively to the document.
The Guidance and Best Practices provides a synthesis of available guidance, tools, and resources needed to plan and implement predation management, set management goals, and evaluate success for AFSI priority beneficiary species. This document aims to provide users with a suite of potentially viable management options that have been developed and/or implemented elsewhere. Specifically, we provide details on 9 stepwise best practice topics along with a wealth of supplementary material for use in planning and implementing predation management.
This project was funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation with additional support provided by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, other federal and state agencies, NGOs, and universities.
For more information contact Sarah Karpanty or Caleb Spiegel.
Informational Webinar
Information webinar provides an overview of the “Guidance and Best Practices for Coordinated Predation Management to Benefit Temperate Breeding Shorebirds in the Atlantic Flyway” including ideas for how the overall document can be useful in the predation management planning and implementation processes. Webinar recording available here.
Associated Material
AFSI partners continue to implement, test, adapt and recommend additional guidance and best practices. Material served here provides additional resources developed after the completion of the Guidance and Best Practices, which can further maximize effectiveness and efficiency of predator management across the Atlantic Flyway.
Guidance and Best Practices, 2020 Supplement: 2019 Demonstration Project Reports & Camera Guidance
This supplement reports on three demonstration projects completed in North Carolina, Virginia, and Massachusetts, following the release of the Guidance and Best Practices in 2019. Each project used the document to inform work in the field, and incorporated camera-based monitoring into management. Project reports share lessons learned from implementing the Guidance and Best Practices and suggest next steps that are widely applicable to those involved in predation management for temperate breeding shorebirds in the Atlantic Flyway. The supplement also provides a detailed outline, developed collaboratively by demonstration project partners, that lays the groundwork for a future comprehensive guidance document, as well as experiences and recommendations regarding the design and implementation of camera projects to benefit predation management. Primary project funding: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
In late 2019 over 40 shorebird practitioners actively managing nesting sites from Florida to Atlantic Canada were contacted via e-mail to quantify use of the Guidance and Best Practices and better direct future AFSI partner efforts to improve the document. The associated report provides a baseline for how the Guidance and Best Practices were used by practitioners during the 2019 field season, and identifies ‘highest priority’ topics for additional collaborative development/work.
Additional Webinars
Coordinated Shorebird Predation Management – Camera Guidance
Coordinated Shorebird Predation Management – Triggers & Monitoring