Solitary Sandpiper Defending its Young

As climate change continues to escalate, many bird species are negativity affected. Consequently, it is important to research changes in ranges and abundances of bird species globally. This past summer, I worked as a field tech in Northern Ontario for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas documenting these changes. This research has important implications for conservation as well as understanding the ecological requirements for successful bird breeding. In the previous atlases, there are very few reports of solitary sandpipers breeding. Although we didn't find any nests during this field season, we did have quite a few observations of these shorebirds being very aggressive towards us. These birds only act like this when they have young nearby, providing strong evidence that they nest in the area!
A sandpiper perched on a pole