From the tundra to the pampas to turf farms: behavior and conservation of the Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Travel along with Dr. Richard Lanctot as he recounts his multidecadal effort to understand and conserve the Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis) – a rather rare and declining Neotropical shorebird that resides primarily in the Western Hemisphere. The first stop is Arctic Alaska, where you will learn how he and Dr. Bart Kempenaers used genetics, behavioral observations, and telemetry to understand the species unique lek-breeding behavior. Then zoom to the pampas of southern South America as he explored the simple question of how many birds are there, but learned the hard way the difficulties of counting a rare, cryptic and sometimes aggregated species during the nonbreeding season. Next, learn how population genetics and more recent tracking technologies were used to understand migratory routes, stopover locations, and habitat needs during the vital migration period. Finally, Dr. Lanctot will discuss recent efforts in Colombia, northern Canada, and Texas to learn how Buff-breasted Sandpipers are having trouble traversing the Midcontinent of North and South America, and how obvious and not so obvious habitat modifications may be causing the species to decline. Throughout this journey, Dr. Lanctot will highlight the importance of collaborations, share the “lightbulb” moments experienced by him and his colleagues, and reveal the challenges and rewards that have kept him focused on this species for >30 years.