Rainwater Basin Joint Venture Shorebird Plan A regional contribution to the United States Shorebird Conservation Plan and the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture Implementation Plan By the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture Contents Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... i Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 The RWBJV Administrative Area .................................................................................................. 3 Geographic Focus Areas in the RWBJV Administrative Area ................................................... 4 Central Loess Hills .................................................................................................................. 5 Central and North Platte River ................................................................................................ 6 Missouri River ......................................................................................................................... 8 Northeast Prairies/Elkhorn River ............................................................................................. 9 Rainwater Basin ..................................................................................................................... 10 Republican River/Blue River Drainages and Loess Canyons ............................................... 11 Sandhills ................................................................................................................................ 12 Verdigris – Bazile Creek Drainages ...................................................................................... 13 Priority Shorebird Species Selection and Foraging Guild Aggregation ....................................... 14 United States Shorebird Conservation Plan Priority Species .................................................... 14 Central Plains / Playa Lakes Regional Shorebird Conservation Plan Priority Species ............. 14 Nebraska State Wildlife Action Plan Priority Species .............................................................. 15 Shorebird Foraging Guilds ........................................................................................................ 15 Population Objectives ................................................................................................................... 17 Planning Species for the RWBJV ............................................................................................. 17 Population Objectives for RWBJV Planning Species ............................................................... 17 Non-Breeding Shorebird Population Objectives ....................................................................... 18 Breeding Shorebird Population Objectives ............................................................................... 19 Primary Shorebird Habitat in the RWBJV Administrative Area .................................................. 19 Non-breeding Shorebird Habitat in the RWBJV Administrative Area ..................................... 20 Breeding Shorebird Habitat in the RWBJV Administrative Area ............................................ 21 Energetic Needs of Shorebirds Using the RWBJV Administrative Area ..................................... 21 Non-breeding Shorebird Habitat Strategies .............................................................................. 23 RWB Conservation Targets and Strategies ........................................................................... 23 Central Platte River Conservation Targets and Strategies ..................................................... 24 Central Loess Hills Conservation Targets and Strategies ...................................................... 25 Breeding Shorebird Habitat Strategies ...................................................................................... 26 Sandhills Conservation Targets and Strategies...................................................................... 27 Central Loess Hills Conservation Targets and Strategies ...................................................... 27 Central Platte, Loup, Missouri, and Niobrara River Conservation Targets and Strategies ... 27 Conservation Delivery .................................................................................................................. 28 Research and Monitoring .............................................................................................................. 28 Non-breeding Shorebirds .......................................................................................................... 29 Breeding Shorebirds .................................................................................................................. 29 Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 29 Appendix A ................................................................................................................................... 31 Energetic Requirements of Shorebirds Using the RWBJV Administrative Area ..................... 31 Population Objectives for the RWBJV Administrative Area ................................................ 31 Total Shorebird Energetic Needs in the RWBJV Administrative Area ................................ 41 Appendix B ................................................................................................................................... 44 Energetic Requirements of Shorebirds Using the Rainwater Basin Wetland Complex............ 44 Population Objectives for the Rainwater Basin Wetland Complex ....................................... 44 Non-Breeding Migratory Population Targets ........................................................................ 45 Estimating Energetic Needs of Shorebirds in the RWB Wetland Complex .......................... 46 Energetic Estimates of Non-breeding Shorebirds in the RWB Wetland Complex ............... 47 Appendix C ................................................................................................................................... 53 Assessing Habitat Availability for Shorebirds .......................................................................... 53 Available Foraging Resources ............................................................................................... 53 True Metabolizable Energy ................................................................................................... 53 Habitat Needs by Foraging Guild .......................................................................................... 54 Appendix D ................................................................................................................................... 59 Common and Scientific Nomenclature for Species and Distinct Subspecies Described in the RWBJV Shorebird Plan ............................................................................................................ 59 Literature Cited ............................................................................................................................. 61 List of Tables Table 1. Wetland and grassland acres and their distribution by Geographic Focus Area (Bishop et al. 2011). .......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Table 2. Shorebirds that occur in the RWBJV Administrative Area and their conservation status. .......... 17 Table 3. Total wetland acres required to meet the energetic needs of breeding and non-breeding population targets of shorebirds using the RWBJV Administrative Area. ................................................ 23 Table 4. Total wetland acres required to meet the energetic needs of non-breeding populations of shorebirds using the RWB. ....................................................................................................................... 24 Table A-1. National population estimates and population objectives for species with measurable populations within the RWBJV Administrative Area. .............................................................................. 33 Table A-2. RWBJV Administrative Area shorebird estimates and population objectives. ........................ 37 Table A-3. Body mass, basal metabolic rate, and daily energetic expenditure of non-breeding shorebirds using the RWBJV Administrative Area during spring migration. ........................................... 38 Table A-4. Daily and total residency energetic expenditure of non-breeding migratory shorebirds using the RWBJV Administrative Area during spring migration. ............................................................. 39 Table A-5. Energy required to increase lipid reserves by 20% for migratory shorebirds using the RWBJV Administrative Area during spring migration. ............................................................................ 40 Table A-6. Total energy needs of non-breeding migratory shorebirds using the RWBJV Administrative Area during spring migration to acquire 20% additional lipid reserves. ........................... 41 Table A-7. Total energetic needs of non-breeding shorebirds using the RWBJV Administrative Area at population targets. ................................................................................................................................