The coast of the south american pampas region is annually home to thousands of nearctic-breeding shorebird species during the non-breeding season

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded Manomet, Inc., a non-profit conservation organization, a $109,450 Project Grant under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination and Assistance program (CFDA 15.664) to assess the importance of three priority shorebird sites in Argentina's Pampas region. The two-year project will 1) evaluate the use of these sites by shorebird species, especially the Lesser Yellowlegs, 2) explore the connectivity between these wintering areas and different breeding populations, and 3) assess the body condition and exposure of shorebirds to agrochemicals. The results will contribute to addressing threats to the Lesser Yellowlegs identified by the Road to Recovery Working Group and link to contaminant exposure across the species' flyway. This grant supports the Fish and Wildlife Service's efforts to conserve migratory bird populations and their habitats throughout the Western Hemisphere.

In argentina, three priority sites have been identified on the atlantic coast within this region, all sites within the western hemisphere shorebird reserve network s(whsrn): baha samborombn, albufera MAR chiquita, and baha blanca. Up-to-date information on shorebird use of these areas is limited. The current project will 1) assess the importance of these three sites for shorebirds, with a particular focus on lesser yellowlegs tringa flavipes 2) explore local movements and connectivity to different breeding populations of lesser yellowlegs and 3) evaluate body condition and exposure of lesser yellowlegs and other shorebirds to agrochemicals such as organophosphorus, carbamates, and neonicotinoids. The results of this work will contribute to addressing the threats to lesser yellowlegs identified by the road to recovery working group and link to other threat exposure (i.e., contaminants) across the flyway.