About Us

The Shorebird Research Group of the Americas (SRGA) is a consortium of researchers from academia, government, non-government organizations, and the public interested in the biology and conservation of shorebirds in the Americas. Our purpose is to encourage collaborative working groups, provide communication between individuals and groups, and to be a clearing house for emerging ideas and issues related to shorebirds. The SRGA is the official research advisory group to several shorebird conservation initiatives in the Americas. We communicate mostly through e-mail and this web site as well as through periodic meetings mostly in conjunction with meetings of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Group. The Shorebird Research Group is open to anyone who shares our interests and would like to participate.  Click here for Terms of Reference 

 

Council

SRGA activities are organized by a Council of representatives from Canada, the United States of America, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, Northern South America, and the Southern Cone, and the Council is coordinated by a Chair. The Council's process and responsibilities are described in the Terms of Reference. We also have an Implementation Committee, which includes the Council and additional participants who have agreed to take on specific tasks.

For 2007-2009

Chair: Dr. Stephen Brown

Council Participants

Canada: Garry Donaldson

USA: Dr. Stephen Brown

Mexico: Dr. Guillermo Fernandez

Central America and the Caribbean: Open

Northern South America: Open

Southern Cone: Open

 

Implementation Committee

The Implementation Committee is open to anyone interested in helping advance the projects SRGA is working on. Current participants include Garry Donaldson, Guillermo Fernandez, Andrea Pomeroy, Audrey Taylor, Rob Butler, Rick Lanctot, and Stephen Brown.

History

Reported declines of many species of shorebirds across wide geographic areas in the Americas in 2000 suggested that one or a few causes might be at work (Morrison et al. 2001). Meetings were called in Quebec City, Canada, in Lacrosse, USA, and in Cuiaba, Brazil in conjunction with the Waterbird Society to develop hypotheses that might explain these declines. In 2003, the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan Council voted to support the formation of a group focused on shorebird research throughout the hemisphere. In 2004, a proposal to establish the SRGA was adopted by a group of shorebird professionals meeting in conjunction with the Pacific Seabird Group in Portland, USA. A committee was formed to establish the Terms of Reference. These Terms of Reference were discussed and adopted at a session at the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Group conference held in Boulder, Colorado in 2005.

 

SRGA Terms of Reference