Migratory shorebirds: ‘Protecting them may save us’

Re: “Can a tiny shorebird stop the massive expansion of a container port?” [June 5, A1]:

Thank you for the Climate Lab article by Lynda Mapes. Her explanation of the biofilm western sandpipers eat, fueling the last leg of their migration thousands of more miles, is wonderful. We want these champions of flight, migration and hope to survive. Who wouldn’t? The wonders of migration like continuous flight, path finding and group flight are still studied by scientists.

Birds Connect Seattle screened the Nature documentary “Flyways,” now streaming free online on  PBS. It describes the challenges faced by migratory shorebirds globally. With a body weight of about 26 grams, equal to 5 nickels, western sandpipers are like canaries in a coal mine. Protecting them may save us.

Barbara Downward, Seattle