Long-billed Curlews are one of the most striking shorebird species one can see on the BC Coast, and yet only a handful are seen each year on the South Coast on their way to and from breeding grounds in the BC interior. Despite the interest that this species generates locally, for a long time we knew little of the birds’ breeding and over wintering grounds. Recent research conducted in BC by Birds Canada and partners in the US since 2017 has revealed much about these birds’ migratory habits, as well as the indirect threat of land conversion throughout the species’ range and the direct threat of sport hunting south of the border. In this presentation, David will discuss the results of the work Birds Canada has done, and where the project is heading in the future in particular outreach work with landowners and farmers in the Prince George area.
The presenter, David Bradley, is currently the Director of the British Columbia office of Birds Canada, where he has been since 2014. Before that he conducted research on Tree Swallow migration at Long Point, Ontario, and graduate research in New Zealand and Costa Rica. Although David oversees the BC program, he is also deeply involved in several coastal projects, including the invasive species programs on Haida Gwaii, the Central Coast and the Scott Islands, as well as the Curlew tracking and stewardship project in the BC interior.
