This past Spring, Manomet supporters entered names into our Whimbrel naming contest. Shortly after, Dr. Shiloh Schulte, Senior Shorebird Specialist, tagged a Whimbrel in Alaska (1st picture), and gave her the winning name—Moonrise! The name Moonrise refers to the genus of the Whimbrel, Numenius, which means “new moon” or “young moon.”
Moonrise left her nesting territory in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on July 10, 2023, arriving on the shore of Hudson Bay on July 16.
She stayed there resting and refueling until August 2, when she made a 3-day flight to Georgia.
She stayed on the coast of Georgia until September 9, just before she left for the Atlantic crossing to South America.
This spring, Whimbrels will leave their wintering sites in coastal mangrove and mudflats from Venezuela to Brazil and migrate along the South American coast to the Gulf of Mexico or cross to the Southeast U.S. on their way back North.
When this happens, if the tags are still working, they will connect to a cell tower and download the stored GPS data. We will then get a full record of her fall migration track, her wintering site, and her migration north.
Get your own flat Moonrise!
Moonrise is ready for an adventure! Color and cut out Moonrise to take her with you wherever you go during the month of April. And be sure to share pictures of her travels by emailing esheehan@manomet.org or using the hashtag #moonrisethewhimbrel!
