Breeding habitat of a declining shorebird in a changing environment

Abstract

Sub-arctic environments are undergoing rapid changes. For instance, woody shrubs are encroaching into previously open habitats, and booming goose (Chen caerulescens and Branta canadensis) populations are creating vast areas of bare mud. Across the region, these changes are likely to diminish the amount and quality of breeding habitat for imperiled arctic- and sub-arctic-breeding shorebirds, including the Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica). We studied godwit nest site selection at two study areas—Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, and Beluga River, Alaska, USA—to identify differences in habitat preferences between the two populations and determine the degree to which each avoided woody vegetation and non-vegetated areas. We used multivariate analyses to evaluate differences in microhabitat between nest sites and random sites within and between each study area. Godwits at both areas selected nest sites characterized by higher amounts of graminoid and shrubby cover with fewer non-vegetated areas than random locations. Habitat attributes preferred by godwits are expected to become less available as the climate changes and as geese continue to degrade arctic and sub-arctic ecosystems.