Why was WHSRN launched?
WHSRN was established in 1985 as North American biologists became increasingly aware of the critical role of migratory staging and stopover sites for shorebirds along their migratory flyways. These are the en route places where shorebirds gain the fuel needed for migration and where significant numbers spend the non-breeding season. After scientists from the Canadian Wildlife Service first proposed the idea for an international “series of protected areas linking key sites” for shorebirds in 1982, WHSRN was created to identify these areas and promote their conservation through a hemispheric network of sites.
