Remote sensing and GPS tracking reveal temporal shifts in habitat use in nonbreeding Black‐tailed Godwits

Black-tailed Godwits (Limosa limosa limosa) exhibit distinct seasonal shifts in habitat use within the Senegal Delta, crucial for their nonbreeding cycle. During the wet season, they rely heavily on natural wetlands and newly planted rice fields, while mature rice crops become less suitable as they densify. As floodwaters recede, godwits transition to protected areas like Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary (Senegal) and Diawling National Park (Mauritania), favoring wetlands with fewer invasive plants during the dry season. This study used GPS tracking and continuous-time stochastic-process movement models on 22 tagged godwits from 2022–2023, combined with satellite imagery to map habitat types. Findings highlight the dynamic importance of both natural and agricultural wetlands, emphasizing the need for conservation efforts targeting invasive plant eradication in protected areas and agroecological management in rice fields.

Craft, T. B., Piersma, T., Hooijmeijer, J. C. E. W., Zhu, B.-R., D’Souza, M., O’Reilly, E., Fokkema, R. W., Stessens, M., Belting, H., Marlow, C., Ludwig, J., Melter, J., Alves, J. A., Esteban‐Pineda, A., Gutiérrez, J. S., Masero, J. A., Rocha, A. D., Dreef, C., & Howison, R. A. (2024). Remote sensing and GPS tracking reveal temporal shifts in habitat use in nonbreeding Black‐tailed Godwits. Journal of Applied Ecology, 62(1), 119–131. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14827