The threat to Delaware’s shorebirds is what fuels the dedication of the people involved in the Delaware Shorebird Project. This team of state and federal scientists, local volunteers, local and international researchers, birders and others is working to mitigate the threat to our shorebirds. Since 1997, the team has researched the populations and health of migratory shorebirds in the Delaware Bay. Their research contributes to an international shorebird network that supports and directs shorebird habitat protection and management plans.
The purpose of the research is to improve our understanding of the importance of the Delaware Bay in the life cycles of migrant shorebirds and their connection to spawning horseshoe crabs. The sound management of the resources upon which shorebirds depend is vital to preserve this breathtaking, awe-inspiring natural cycle for our children and grandchildren.
From the outset set, research efforts have been conducted in partnership with the British Trust for Ornithology. In addition, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is an important partner providing staff and logistical support from the Delaware Bay Estuary Project, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary has also funded important projects and supported the first year of a Bay-wide horseshoe crab egg monitoring project.
Biologists from Delaware and New Jersey, with an international team of scientists, have banded over 34,000 shorebirds in Delaware Bay since 1997. Color-marking birds has resulted in a growing database of sightings describing their migration routes and their nesting and wintering areas.
