Future Tasks

• Presently, information is generally lacking on waterbirds outside of the breeding season. Data during these seasons are essential for identifying critical wintering, post-fledging, and migration habitats important for long-term waterbird conservation planning. Within Canada and the United States, Christmas Bird Count (CBC) data exist for wintering waterbirds and, for selected regions, can be analyzed for comparisons with breeding season survey data. But many North American waterbirds winter in the West Indies and Central America where data are severely limited. After completion of the Breeding Season Census Techniques Manual, standardized methods will be developed for counting waterbirds outside of the breeding season.
• Efforts are underway to develop a nation-wide monitoring program for marshbirds. More information...
• To effectively manage and conserve waterbirds, changes in habitat must be integrated with species' population trends. A waterbird monitoring program should provide a base from which to synthesize data on species distribution, descriptive-level habitat characteristics, environmental factors, and contaminants. Over the next five years, it will be critical to establish habitat monitoring protocols as waterbird monitoring programs are developed. Once this has been accomplished, measures of habitat can be explored at regional and local levels, and integrated into population measures; this will allow correlation of population trends with local or regional shifts in habitat characteristics, support adaptive management, and lead to strong, science-based management decisions.
• Monitoring recommendations for non-colonial, secretive waterbirds are also being developed. More information...