'Audobon' Features Nathan Senner's Work on Migratory Birds
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Audubon, the publication of the National Audubon Society—which works to preserve bird habitats, conduct scientific research, influence policymakers to enact commonsense conservation laws, etc.—has devoted two recent articles to researchers including Nathan Senner, an assistant professor of environmental conservation in the College of Natural Sciences and Mass Audubon Chair for Ornithology, and their work with migratory birds. The author of both articles, Alice McBride, is a freelance science writer, academic editor, and ecologist from Maine.
In a May 15 article, "There’s No Bog Like Home," McBride considers Alaska's Upper Cook Inlet, which provides a critical breeding habitat for thousands of shorebirds that return each spring after long migrations, including species that nest in the region's boreal bogs and coastal salt marshes.
For years, researchers have studied the declining Hudsonian Godwit population near the Beluga River, and this project is now expanding to include additional shorebird species and examine how water levels and habitat conditions affect nesting success. Led by Senner, the team works with partners including Birds 'n' Bogs, Audubon Alaska, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, combining advanced tracking technology with traditional field surveys. By integrating on-the-ground observations with drone imagery, satellite data, and decades of historical records, the researchers aim to identify the region's most important breeding areas and understand how they have changed over time.
Then, in a May 22 article entitled "Wanted: Shorebird Chicks (Alive)," McBride describes how migratory shorebirds race against the clock to nest and raise their young during the region's short breeding season. While some chicks survive to join the population, many nesting attempts end in failure. Researchers, including Senner, are working to identify which wetlands provide the best conditions for successful breeding and chick survival. Understanding why some habitats consistently support thriving shorebird populations while others do not is critical to conserving these species in a changing environment.
Read "There’s No Bog Like Home" and "Wanted: Shorebird Chicks (Alive)" in Audubon.