The Amazon Basin's rivers and lakes support Nearctic-breeding shorebirds during southward migration.

This article investigates the use of the Amazon Basin's rivers and lakes as stopover habitats by six Nearctic-breeding shorebird species during their southward migration to southern South America. Using satellite transmitters to track 212 individuals across species including American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica), Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica), Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis), Pectoral Sandpiper (C. melanotos), and Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), the study found that over 74% of migratory tracks included at least one stopover in the Amazon Basin, primarily along rivers and lakes during periods of low water. Shorebirds exhibited species-specific habitat preferences within stopover sites, favoring open habitats such as grasslands, wetlands, and intermittently inundated areas, while avoiding forested regions. The findings highlight the Amazon Basin's critical role as a migratory stopover region and underscore the need for detailed investigations into shorebird abundance, habitat use, and conservation threats in this dynamic and rapidly changing ecosystem.