Shorebird Migration

— Wildlife Migration —

Each spring, the Delaware Bay shore is inundated with hundreds of thousands of shorebirds migrating north from Central and South America. For many of them, this is the final rest stop before continuing to their Arctic breeding grounds. Shorebirds rest here because of the variety of coastal habitats and the abundance of food, mainly horseshoe crab eggs.

The shorebirds' arrival on the Delaware Bay shore is amazingly timed with the spawning season of the Atlantic horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus). Starved and exhausted after using all of their fat reserves in migratory flight, many of the shorebirds will double their weight by feasting on horseshoe crab eggs and small invertebrates during their two week rest here.

Shorebirds feed at sandy beaches and tidal mudflats during the day and roost in the security of the marshes at night. Habitat destruction, human disturbance, and a recent decline of horseshoe crab populations threaten the survival of these migratory birds. Respect the shorebirds by watching from a distance and by keeping your pets leached and away from the beach during their migration.

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