Priorities for Future Research

Information is needed to determine the conservation status of this species. Standardized programs to monitor population size should be established and/or continued at representative breeding, migration, and wintering areas. Census techniques now being used for such programs should be assessed for accuracy of detecting Lesser Yellowlegs and modified if necessary. Additionally, we need to iden-tify migratory stopover and wintering areas used by specific breeding populations and determine how faithful individuals are to these areas.

Information on many aspects of the breeding ecology of this species is lacking. Long-term breeding studies of individually marked birds are needed to gain insight into relationships between behavior, habitat use, and breeding success. Such studies would also provide estimates of survival and productivity, information that could be used to identify factors influencing population dynamics. More information is needed on the effects of landscape changes (e.g., agriculture, reclamation, urbanization) on survival and distribution of this species in all seasons. As wetland habitats across the western hemisphere continue to be altered, studies to measure habitat requirements during migration and winter will become increasingly important. Reports of hunting during migration and exposure to contaminants in winter are troubling; we need to assess the magnitude of such threats to specific populations.