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Following the invisible threads that connect continents
Every year, as summer fades in South Africa, thousands of small shorebirds take to the skies. Species like the Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) and Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) leave our coasts and begin an extraordinary journey – crossing deserts, wetlands, and oceans to reach breeding grounds thousands of kilometres away.
These migrations are among the most remarkable feats in the natural world. But they are also becoming increasingly fragile.
Migratory waders depend on a chain of wetlands scattered across continents – a network of feeding and resting sites that must all remain intact for their journeys to succeed. If even one of these critical sites is lost or degraded, the consequences can ripple across the entire flyway. And right now, that network is under pressure. Wetlands are disappearing, coastlines are being transformed, and climate change is altering the timing of seasons that birds have relied on for millennia.
Globally, many wader populations are in decline. Here in South Africa, the picture is especially concerning. Long-term monitoring along the West Coast shows that Curlew Sandpipers have dropped by nearly half over recent decades, while Grey Plovers have declined even more sharply. Yet, despite years of counting birds at our estuaries, we still don’t fully understand why.
Where do these birds go when they leave our shores?
Which wetlands sustain them along the way?
To answer these questions, we need to follow them.
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Tracking journeys in real time
For the first time in South Africa, tiny tracking devices are being fitted to migratory shorebirds along the West Coast. Combined with colour-ringing and on-the-ground monitoring, this technology allows us to map their movements in unprecedented detail – revealing migration routes, stopover sites, and the connections between distant landscapes.
The project brings together a strong international collaboration, including partners from the Department of Ornithology at the Max Planck Institute of Biological Intelligence (Germany), Wetlands International (Netherlands) the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology (University of Cape Town), and Conserve Eden (Plettenberg Bay, South Africa). Funding support has been provided by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (United Kingdom) and the Ecological Restoration Fund (United Kingdom)
Why this matters
Research is increasingly showing that what happens away from breeding grounds, at stopover and non-breeding sites like those in South Africa, can have the greatest impact on whether these birds survive.
That makes the wetlands of the West Coast far more than just seasonal refuges. They are critical pieces of a much larger puzzle, linking South Africa to ecosystems across Africa, Europe, and Asia.
And yet, many of these habitats are under threat.
By tracking these birds, we can begin to identify the places that matter most – some of which may be unknown, temporary, or easily overlooked. Protecting these sites is essential if we are to safeguard migratory species across their entire life cycle.
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A step toward better conservation
This project is about more than just following bird – it’s about understanding the full picture of their lives.
By combining tracking data with long-term monitoring, we can start to answer the big questions: where birds go, what they need, and where conservation action will have the greatest impact. At the same time, we are carefully assessing how to use tracking technology responsibly, ensuring that these tools support conservation without compromising the birds themselves.
Each movement we record brings us closer to understanding a system that spans continents.
And with that understanding comes the opportunity to protect it.
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Be part of the journey
This is only the beginning – and you can be part of it.
Follow the birds as they move across continents in near real time. Share their journeys. Help us uncover the critical sites they depend on. Join our WhatsApp channel for frequent updates on their movements – https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb87JULJENxwyTIvXu3e.
Most importantly, support the work that makes this possible.
Every tracking device, every field trip, and every new discovery depends on collective effort. By contributing, you are directly helping to map and protect the flyway, ensuring that these extraordinary journeys continue for generations to come.
Follow the movement. Support the science. Protect the flyway.
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Donate
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