ShorebirdViz: a game-changer for shorebird conservation

Jeanne O'Rourke | October 29, 2021 | Newsletters

A pair of Red Knots in flight. Credit: Alan Kneidel.

Lisa Schibley

North American Coordinator for the International Shorebird Survey

For decades, researchers have relied on citizen science (see Manomet’s International Shorebird Survey) to get a complete picture of how many shorebirds use certain areas across their geographic range. Understanding where shorebirds go throughout their annual cycles gives scientists clear insight on where to direct management action, as well as additional environmental threats that may affect shorebird abundance. In September 2021, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology released ShorebirdViz: a new tool that will revolutionize our access to information on shorebird abundance across flyways in the Western Hemisphere.

Citizen scientists have been entering bird sightings into Cornell’s eBird since 2002. Yet, for the most part, according to Tom Auer, geospatial data science team lead at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the data products have been “locked up in data formats that require technical skills to use.” With ShorebirdViz, eBird “combines observations of shorebirds in eBird with state-of-the-art statistical models and machine learning” to produce maps and graphs that present these data through easy-to-understand visuals. These data span the entire Western Hemisphere and show population trends and relative abundance of every shorebird species found in this part of the world by location and time of year.

“By listening to and working with our partners, including Point Blue Conservation Science, Manomet, and Calidris, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology was able to build an interactive tool that contains a level of detail never even imagined five years ago,” says Chris Wood, managing director of the Center for Avian Population Studies at the Cornell Lab. “ShorebirdViz is a major accomplishment that will drive the future direction of the Lab and advance conservation globally.”

eBird relies on citizen science data for its new ShorebirdViz tool. Photo credit: Gabriela Tavella.

Here’s how it works: using the simple map interface, users select a shorebird species and a seven-day date range, then draw a polygon around the area of interest. ShorebirdViz will immediately return a histogram with summary statistics for that area and time, including percent of the total population and minimum, maximum, and median estimates of relative abundance. The user can also mouse over the histogram to see abundance range estimates and a total count for each bar in the histogram.

Scientists at Manomet are excited to put the tool to work. Joaquín Aldabe, a Conservation Specialist for WHSRN in Uruguay, hopes to use ShorebirdViz to learn more about spatio-temporal (space and time) patterns in shorebird movements which he can then assess further with targeted research. Aldabe calls ShorebirdViz a “friendly” tool that will help him with building conservation plans for focal shorebird species. For instance, if scientists like Joaquín wanted to know whether or not clam abundance affects how Red Knots use certain regions in their wintering grounds, they could use ShorebirdViz to get a clear visual representation to begin answering that question. “If we identify the environmental variables responsible for the changes in shorebird abundance, we can predict how some species will respond and act accordingly,” he says.

ShorebirdViz will also be a powerful tool for informing decisions about potential Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) sites. A nominated site must meet specific criteria, including numbers of overall shorebirds using the area or a percentage of one particular species’ biogeographic population. ShorebirdViz provides a more straightforward approach to getting shorebird population estimates for potential sites, possibly speeding up the nomination process and ultimately increasing the number of sites added to the network to safeguard shorebirds along their journeys.

For example, in 2017, the Georgia Barrier Islands were nominated as a WHSRN Landscape of Hemispheric Importance for holding more than 30% of the biogeographic population of rufa Red Knot (Calidris canutus). ShorebirdViz shows that eBird’s best estimate is that 31.1% of the Red Knot population uses the area within the polygon drawn across Georgia’s barrier islands during the week of April 19, which supports how critically important this site is as a stopover location for this threatened species.

ShorebirdViz makes it easy to view the relative abundance of shorebirds in a specific area. Courtesy of shorebirdviz.ebird.org.

One doesn’t need to be a scientist to use ShorebirdViz, either, making it possible for any shorebird enthusiast to answer basic questions about shorebirds in their area.

“Citizen science has played an important role in bird conservation for decades, but eBird and the scientists working with eBird data have taken this role to new heights,” says Paul Smith of Environment and Climate Change Canada. “The sheer volume of data contributed to eBird has transformed what’s possible, and the ShorebirdViz tool is an example of this. Citizen science data can now provide insights into fine-scale distribution through space and time that could never have been achieved by professional biologists alone. With the rise of eBird, iNaturalist, and other platforms, innovative new uses of citizen science data is a new frontier in conservation biology.”

ShorebirdViz is an incredible tool that will help researchers develop effective management strategies for shorebird habitat across the Western Hemisphere. It also provides a fun and simple way of seeing what shorebirds use specific locations, so birders of all levels can research species they hope to add to their year lists and predict the best time of year to find them. To contribute data to ShorebirdViz and be active in important shorebird research, become an ISS volunteer and find a survey location near you to get started.

See more from our October newsletter

Bird-a-Thon's first "Big Sit"

Fall field guide for the Gulf of Maine

Owl-O-Ween at the banding lab