Nycthemeral Movements of Wintering Shorebirds Reveal Important Differences in Habitat Uses of Feeding Areas and Roosts

Most shorebirds depend on coastal habitats for much of their life cycle. The quality and diversity feeding areas during the wintering period directly condition winter survival, subsequent migration, breeding success. During in France, use intertidal feeding, both daylight at night, depending availability mudflats tidal In this context, we studied whether bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) shows contrasting foraging behaviors distributions between day night response to differences visual capacities, prey availability, potential predation risk, human activities. We carried out a fine-scale GPS tracking birds one main sites along French Atlantic coast. predicted smaller home ranges because limits godwits detect visually, suggesting more sediment probing less movement. Godwits used entire time window when they have access areas, but faithfully selected distinct diurnal nocturnal using low number patches. This variability space highlights selection habitats, such as seagrass beds by most tracked night. addition, monitored revealed interindividual habitat selection, even likely reduce intraspecific competition. therefore urge greater consideration distribution birds, rarely evaluated shorebird studies, define importance future management conservation measures.