Wader Quest

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Wader Quest is a registered charity in England & Wales, No: 1993674 We continue to give talks and collect donations, for wader conservation projects.

Wader Quest; A set up to raise funds for and to raise awareness about the problems they're facing around the . In order to better understand the problems these birds are facing we spent a little over a year travelling around the world to see as many species as possible, getting first hand experience of some of the issues facing wader survival. At the same time we gave talks in various countries to bird clubs and societies and schools, we also contacted the local media and engaged with local conservation and research projects in order to better understand their objectives and methods and help raise their profile through our blog. The project is self funded through annual sponsorship, donations and merchandising.

16/09/2026

Today is Plover appreciation day, but do you appreciate just how many plover species there are around the world? Not only are there lots of them, but within the family there are tiny ringed plovers to huge lapwings and full range in between. Here are a few ways you can celebrate plovers and help them survive:
Respect nesting areas: If you see a plover nest on a beach or open area, keep your distance and stay on designated paths. These birds nest on the ground, making them vulnerable to trampling.
Keep dogs under control: Always keep dogs on leashes in areas where plovers nest, especially during breeding season.
Support conservation: Organisations like BirdLife Australia, Wader Quest, Chicago Piping Plovers work to protect plover populations and their habitats.Learn more: Plovers are found worldwide and include species like the Hooded Plover, the American Golden Plover, and the Kentish Plover.

The family Charadriidae is very large with 70 species listed and is split into 3 subfamilies.
Subfamily Charadriinae contains 41 species in eight genera; Charadrius (11), Anarhynchus (24), Oreopholus (1) Phegornis (1), Hoploxypterus (1) Eudromias (1), Zonibyx (1) and Peltohyas (1).
Subfamily Pluvialinae contains 4 species in one genus; Pluvialis (4).
Subfamily Vanellinae contains 25 species in two genera;
Vanellus (24). Erythrogonys (1).

https://waderquest.net/wader-directory/plovers/

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Hooded Plover Hooded Plover Volunteers

11/09/2026

One of Wader Quest’s aims is to raise money to make grants to wader conservation initiatives. When we do this, we are always very pleased to receive reports about how the money, or equipment supplied, has been used. This latest report from the Global Flyways Network on research into the northward migration of waders in Bohai Bay, China, which we part funded, allows us to show you, our supporters and donors, how your money has been used to great effect.

https://waderquest.net/global-flyway-report-from-bohai-bay-2026/

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09/09/2026

Why Ringed Waders Matter: A Glimpse into Their Journey
This photo of an American Oystercatcher, taken in southern Brazil by Davi Pasqualetti, is a perfect example of the incredible work being done to understand and therefore protect waders. The bird in the image was ringed as part of Projeto Aves Limícolas, with the rings generously donated by Wader Quest.
Researchers Bruno Lima and Karina Ávila, both part of Projeto Aves Limícolas, have made significant strides in uncovering where these birds travel after nesting. Their groundbreaking study, published by the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, explores the population dynamics of resident and migratory shorebirds along the southern coast of São Paulo.
It’s people like Bruno and Karina that are dedicated, passionate, and committed to conservation who inspire us to support Projeto Aves Limícolas and projects like them around the world. Their work goes beyond research: they collaborate closely with local communities, schools, and government authorities to better the protection of these wonderful species.
Their efforts remind us that every ringed wader tells a story and it’s a story worth telling.

Photo © Davi Pasqualetti

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Projeto Aves Limícolas
Bruno Lima
Karina Avila

07/09/2026

For the first time in nearly 50 years, Piping Plovers nest on Wisconsin Point.
This is wonderful news for those of us who are particularly enamoured of waders and their conservation. The Piping Plover is a small endangered wader, which has been recorded nesting on Wisconsin Point again for the first time in nearly 50 years.
This is another sign of revival for this species in the Great Lakes region where considerable effort has been put into its recovery.
This event highlights the importance and efficacy of protecting and restoring wader habitats, especially in freshwater ecosystems that are often overlooked compared to more eye-catching coastal areas.
It also proves that targeted conservation work can lead to the return of species once thought locally extinct, providing us with hope and optimism that things can be reversed if we put in the effort.

© Harry Collins from Getty Images

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31/08/2026

When people think of waders, I bet very few think of the Critically Endangered Plains Wanderer, but it is in fact a grassland wader that inhabits Australia.
There has been some recent good news to brighten your day following excellent ongoing work to help this species. Firstly, a zoo near Melbourne has announced that they have welcomed the hatching of four more chicks following a successful programme during which, since 2017, they have bred in the region of 60 chicks. Secondly, the Nari Nari Tribal Council said that their field staff had, during a single night survey, encountered no less than 10 breeding pairs. This is their highest count in 8 years and not far short of the best count so far recorded of 13 pairs. . And finally, more good news for the Plains Wanderer, a new AU$13 million project, funded through the Australian Government’s $250 million Australian Bushland Programme, promises to permanently protect 4,000 hectares of habitat on private land by 2030, contributing to the global goal of protecting 30% of land for conservation by 2030.
Photo © Andy Walker

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2789150504788276

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Zoos Victoria Nari Nari Tribal Council

19/08/2026

The Wader Quest grants panel is pleased to be able to support the first targeted scan survey for Nordmann’s Greenshank. This could provide an important basis for estimating this Endangered species' global population. Simultaneously, the survey will generate much-needed, updated information on Spoon-billed Sandpiper numbers in the region. All this information will be used to assess whether conservation interventions across the flyway are being reflected in population trends. The survey will be led by Katherine Leung of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force. If you are a supporter of Wader Quest, this is one of the many things that you have helped to fund. If you are not yet a supporter, but would like to support this kind of important wader conservation work, then join us as a Friend of Wader Quest, a Corporate Sponsor or simply make a donation here. In all cases, 100% of your payment will be used to fund wader conservation.

https://waderquest.net/support-us/

Spoon-billed Sandpiper © Bitnik Gao
Nordmann’s Greenshank © Jun Matsui Sicklebill Safaris - Birding, Wildlife & Photography Tours

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16/08/2026

Good news for Dutch Black-tailed Godwits; Astrid Kant, pictured with one of the 61 Black-tailed Godwits she ringed this year, has told us that all godwit ringers have reported good numbers of chicks this year in some regions of the Netherlands. Astrid passed the 1000 mark of chicks ringed last year, a real champion of Black-tailed Godwits in the Netherlands.
Black-tailed Godwit © Image by Tonveldhuizen
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13/08/2026

What’s your biggest wader challenge?
Got a question about waders or shorebirds?
Ask the Wader Guru! Some examples - What is an 'inspiration of waders'? Which is the rarest wader in the world? Which is the smallest wader in the world? Why do plovers all face the same way when roosting?
Designed by Crow Artist

https://waderquest.net/wader-guru/

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06/08/2026

Wader Quest latest Newsletter Vol 13 issue 3.
In this issue
Pied Avocet, Avistilt, Stavocet?
Global Flyway Network Nanpu updates, waders news in brief and much more...
More details here!!

https://waderquest.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Copy-of-Wader-Quest-Newsletter-V13-I-3.pdf

Cover Photo - Pied Avocet © Phil Hadley
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30/07/2026

The Pectoral Sandpiper is unusual among sandpipers because of its mating strategy that is called lek polygyny. Other examples of this system are the Ruff and Buff-breasted Sandpiper
The male Pectoral Sandpipers gather in small groups and carry out exuberant displays, inflating their chest sacs, raising their neck feathers, and making distinctive booming sounds to attract females. They also do amazing display flights whilst carrying out the above. Females then choose one of the males and will mate with him, thereafter the male plays no part in the incubation of the eggs nor the rearing of the young.
Pectoral Sandpipers are often thought of as being an 'American' species, replaced by the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in Siberia, however they do breed in Arctic Russia too.
The conservation status of Pectoral Sandpiper is Least Concern, and shows no discernible trend of decline, however it faces habitat loss due to wetland drainage, climate change, and industrial development in its Arctic breeding grounds as well as on the migration stop-over points in North and South America.

Pectoral Sandpiper © Elis Simpson Rick-Elis Simpson
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