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Conservation and Management

Effects Of Human Activity

Shooting And Trapping

Not thought to be of high concern, although some hunting still (1990s) ongoing in Lesser Antilles (Trinidad; S. Eckert pers. comm.). See Demography and populations: causes of mortality and population status, above.

Pesticides And Other Contamination/Toxics

Small levels in dowitchers wintering in Costa Rica (1984–1985); not biologically significant (Fyfe et al. 1990).

Collisions With Stationary/Moving Structure Or Objects

No data.

Fishing Nets

Not applicable.

Degradation Of Habitat

No information on breeding grounds; Maisonneuve (1993) speculated that flooding of James Bay lowlands for hydroelectric projects had depleted habitat. On wintering grounds, development of coastal lagoons in Venezuela used by southbound migrants after long flight, and by northbound migrants for staging, a possible concern (JRJ).

Disturbance At Nest And Roost Sites

No indication of activities with more than local effects at Churchill, Manitoba (e.g., disturbance by photographers). Disturbance by vehicles at migratory roost site at Plymouth Beach, MA, alleged to cause marked decrease in numbers of adults using this site from 299 (mean of highest annual census counts in 1972–1975) to 34 in 1986–1989 (Pfister et al. 1992).

Direct Human/Research Impacts

Negligible. See Behavior: predation, above.

Band Recoveries

Among interesting recoveries: 1 banded in Jul in Massachusetts resighted in Guadeloupe 27 d later; 1 banded in Aug in Massachusetts seen in Panama 19 d later. Two banded in Aug in Quebec found in West Indies 25 and 26 d later. One banded in Oct in Florida found shot 8 yr 1 mo later in Arkansas. One banded in Ohio found shot in Peru. One banded in fall 1961 in Chicago, IL, found shot in Jun 1967 in Churchill, Manitoba. Chick banded in 1964 in Churchill found dead in 1967 in Florida (Jehl and Smith 1970, courtesy BBL). See also Demography and populations: causes of mortality, above.

Management

Conservation Status

No special status accorded.

Measures Proposed And Taken

B. Harrington and L. Payne (pers. comm.) noted that “almost half of the tally found by ISS cooperators . . . were in areas managed by wildlife agencies . . . especially coastal National Wildlife Refuges in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic states . . . .” They suggested that “managers of locations that are traditionally used by 2000 or more . . . at any one time should consider implementing management initiatives . . . [to include] protecting against key habitat loss and/or reducing chronic disturbance, and ensuring that good resources remain adequate.” Proposed creation of protected roosting sites in places where traditional roosting sites are disturbed by recreational use of beaches (Pfister et al. 1992).

Effectiveness Of Measures