A Journey of Epic Proportions

Flint Hills, Kansas

As Rob Penner, with The Nature Conservancy of Kansas explains, “The Flint Hills Region of Kansas has been spared from agricultural development due to its geological formations providing a dependable location for the birds to refuel before continuing to migrate south.

Ranchers and wildlife managers can create good habitat for Buff-breasted Sandpipers and other birds with rotational burning, rotational grazing, and patch burning or grazing. This creates better forage for livestock and also the best conditions for birds to find food.

Texas Coastal Plain

The Texas Coastal Plain is a stopover site that is used during both north and south migration. When heading south, Buff-breasted Sandpipers stop here for 1-3 weeks to fatten up before flying to South America. 

Using GPS transmitters programmed to send signals frequently, Tara Rodkey, with Texas A&M University, Kingsville, and her team of researchers are letting the birds tell them which habitats they prefer.

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Crossing the Gulf of Mexico is a formidable task with strong winds blowing north over the Gulf in September when birds are traveling south. 

Satellite transmitters have revealed that birds are able to modify their migration routes to avoid or harness strong winds. Scientists are concerned that changing wind conditions associated with climate change may pose problems for migrating birds that have evolved to avoid or take advantage of the winds.

Ucayali River, Peru

The Amazon Rainforest presents another large barrier to Buff-breasted Sandpipers migrating south. Surprisingly, the small river bars within the Ucayali River in Peru and the many tributaries of the Amazon are used as short-term stopovers when water levels are low.

It is uncertain whether individuals making stopovers face additional risks from predators (and humans) compared to those capable of flying over the Amazon completely.

Beni, Bolivia

One of the main stopover sites after flying south from Texas is the Beni Savanna of Bolivia where Buff-breasted Sandpipers take advantage of drying conditions that expose edges of wetlands where feeding is good.

Researchers like Tjalle Boorsma and his colleagues at Asociación Armonía created the Barba Azul Nature Reserve, which uses active cattle management to create the short-grass conditions Buffies need. Having reliable stopover sites is essential for these long-distance migrants.

Asunción Bay, Paraguay

On their way south, a portion of the Buff-breasted Sandpiper population stops in Paraguay. Asunción Bay and nearby rivers and lagoons provide a location to rest and refuel. Unfortunately, development around Asunción has led to habitat loss and degradation.

Several organizations are working to recreate mudflats and grasslands by removing scrub and other invasive plant species, remove litter, and reduce disturbance to shorebirds through community engagement. 

Bahía Samborombón, Argentina

The Pampas region of Argentina provides natural grasslands used by ranchers to graze cattle, sheep and horses. Buff-breasted Sandpipers are able to find their ideal habitat here during the South American summer. Unfortunately, economic pressures have motivated some owners to modify their lands by introducing exotic grasses and converting to crops such as soybeans. Giant industrial agrobusinesses are also buying up lands and converting them to agriculture.

Gabriel Castresana and his team at Bahía Samborombón Reserve in Argentina work to maintain the integrity of the grasslands to ensure areas remain for Buff-breasted Sandpipers who may stay here 5-7 months of the year.

Laguna de Rocha, Uruguay

Buff-breasted Sandpipers also heavily use the short grassland areas near the many lagoons along the Atlantic Coast of Uruguay and Brazil, where landowners are also modifying landscapes with agriculture development. 

Joaquín Aldabe from Manomet and the Universidad de la República and a collaborative group of stakeholders, including agriculturalists, cattle producers, and conservationists, have joined forces to exchange values and elevate the traditional land uses that are compatible with birds.  

Lagoa do Peixe National Park, Brazil

Lagoa do Peixe National Park hosts about 5 to 10% of the population of Buff-breasted Sandpipers during the Brazilian summer. Careful discussions among managers and conservationists are being conducted to determine how to use cattle as a management tool to maintain the high-quality habitat for Buff-breasted Sandpipers.

One of the earliest and most thorough studies of Buff-breasted Sandpipers on the wintering grounds was conducted by Juliana Bosi de Almeida – now the lead of the Shorebird Program at SAVE Brasil. Her extensive surveys and banding of hundreds of birds revealed the importance of Lagoa do Peixe for Buff-breasted Sandpipers.

Los Llanos, Colombia

On the way north, Buff-breasted Sandpipers fly across the Amazon Basin in one large jump before stopping in the Llanos Region of Colombia and Venezuela. Here, Buff-breasted Sandpipers fuel up before migrating north directly across the Gulf of Mexico, This area is threatened by conversion of savanna grasslands into rice farms and oil palm plantations, and uncontrolled fires.

Buffies arrive in the Llanos right before the rainy season, when food is abundant. Carlos Ruiz and Yanira Cifuentes-Sarmiento and others from Asociación Calidris have met extensively with ranchers, highlighting the importance of traditional cattle ranching practices to ensure preservation of grasslands.

Rainwater Basin, Nebraska

One of the first areas Buff-breasted Sandpipers stop at after traveling north from Texas is the Rainwater Basin – an area with nearly 80% of the landscape in agriculture production. Birds use corn and soybean fields regularly but it is unknown if this is preferred or that natural grasslands are just not available.

In 2007, an estimated 56,000 Buff-breasted Sandpipers were counted at this major stopover site. Biologists are using contemporary survey data from the Texas Coastal Plain and the Arctic breeding grounds to generate new population estimates.

Prairie Potholes, USA & CAN

The Prairie Pothole Region also provides important habitat for Buffies. Here, adults stop to build up sufficient fat reserves to power themselves over the boreal forest of Canada to reach the Arctic tundra.