Trophic ecology of a migratory shorebird community at a globally important non-breeding site: combining DNA metabarcoding and conventional techniques

A study of migratory shorebirds in the Bijagós Archipelago, a critical non-breeding site for East Atlantic Flyway species, reveals that these birds consume a remarkably diverse range of prey—including highly mobile crustaceans and fish—to reduce competition. Using DNA metabarcoding alongside traditional morphological identification, researchers analyzed 239 droppings from 15 shorebird species, uncovering four times more prey taxa than morphological methods alone. The findings highlight the importance of mobile prey in structuring shorebird communities, particularly in areas with limited benthic invertebrate availability. The study also underscores the need for expanded barcode databases to improve metabarcoding accuracy for invertebrates in West Africa.

Correia, E., Granadeiro, J., Santos, B., Regalla, A., Mata, V., & Catry, T. (2023). Trophic ecology of a migratory shorebird community at a globally important non-breeding site: combining DNA metabarcoding and conventional techniques. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 705, 127–144. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14241