How far do the shorebirds migrate and when are they in Maine?
Many shorebirds are capable of flying great distances, making migratory journeys from the high arctic of Canada to the furthest tip of South America. Though they stop at specific staging areas to refuel along their migratory routes, most shorebirds are capable of flying 1,200 to 3,000 mile segments of their journey, nonstop. Most shorebirds leaving Maine coastal staging areas fly 2,000 miles or more, nonstop, over the Atlantic to South America. For example, a semipalmated sandpiper banded in Eastport, Maine was observed 48 hours later in Suriname, South America. Larger shorebirds equipped with satellite radios have been documented flying nonstop for 9 days to reach their next staging area. The greatest variety of shorebird species and numbers of shorebirds visit Maine during their southward migration, beginning with adults arriving in early July through mid August, followed by juveniles arriving in mid-August through end of September. A few species have later migrations; the Dunlin for
