Wildlife agencies work to restore wetlands for declining Great Basin shorebird populations
On a warm September morning, Mike Goddard pointed his scope toward a marshy pond within the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge. What Goddard hoped to spot: The many migratory birds that forage in the shallow shores of the wetlands, once abundant in this area outside of Fallon. … These species, known as shorebirds, connect Western Nevada’s patchwork of wetlands to the rest of the globe. … Yet these lands have faced numerous threats in recent decades, both in Nevada and across much of the Pacific Flyway, a major pathway for migratory birds. Drought and water diversions have meant that less water is filling many of these arid wetlands. Warming temperatures have only added to the pressures on shorebirds, contributing to a decline in Great Basin populations.