Through professional commitment, following the data and developing a desire for greater public input, a group with expertise in wildlife biology, hydrology and a love for conservation joined forces to establish a nonprofit organization call Delta Wind Birds Inc. “We’ve been around since 2013, a small organization flying under the radar,” Delta Wind Birds Inc. President and University of Mississippi biology professor Jason Hoeksema explained. “We were motivated to make bird conservation efforts for birds that did not receive a lot of attention the focus of Delta Wind Birds. In the last 50 years, much of the attention has been focused on ducks, geese, and waterfowl and not so much or wind birds or what we sometimes call shore birds.”
Wind birds which include herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, storks, terns, and warblers lead very active and mobile lives. According to the organization’s research, populations of these birds have been declining for more than 100 years. Hunting, unexpected storms and fatigue from long migrations account for some of the attrition. These migratory birds fly from the Artic and northern Canada in the spring. During these months, the Mississippi Flyway is what is dubbed the “stopover habitat.” “When the birds come to the Mississippi Delta, they require a high-quality habitat (adequate water, food sources, nesting areas) where they can fatten up and make the trip to South America for the summer,” Hoeksema explained. “So, we work with a number of partners and programs to help create more habitat for shore birds when they pass through the Mississippi Flyway.”
Hoeksema explained that shore birds’ migratory patterns are part of their normal life cycle that has been studied for more than 1,000 years. Over the past 100 years, expansion of agricultural lands has decreased the number of stop over habitats available. However, the way Hoeksema explains it, the problem that took a long time to come to fruition is a very manageable one. “Our analytics tell us that it doesn’t take but about two to three thousand acres of land to make an impact on developing an adequate amount of stopover habitat,” he said. “We are working with landowners, hunters, and farmers to help develop 500 acres in the coming years. These are very enthusiastic conservationists and we’re excited about the potential.”
Over its decade of existence, Delta Wind Birds Inc. has leveraged its expertise with agencies and existing efforts to make the wind birds’ experience in Mississippi one that is conducive to their survival. During years following the Gulf oil spill, the US Coast Guard skimmed oil off the water’s surface and sold it to create a fund to help build and restore shore bird habitats. In addition to its work with private landowners, Delta Wind Birds Inc. has also used funds and scientific expertise in partnership with USDA to help famers modify their lands for habitat and to study the benefit on local ecosystems when increasing stop over habitats. “There are a couple of major benefits that creation of more stopover habitats has on wetlands,” Hoeksema said. “It enhances soil conservation and reduces nitrogen pollution."
Delta Wind Bird Inc., like the species that the organization continues to protect has followed somewhat of a migratory path. The organization has moved from the internal scientific rigor and data analysis to developing partnerships. The next phase of the journey is cultivating public education and support. Delta Wind Birds’ signature project for public consumption is a partnership with the beautiful Sky Lake facility in Belzoni. The area has a board walk, conservation center and wildlife management area that will serve as the model for everyday citizens to join the effort to protect these birds that journey from the top to the bottom of the globe in their life cycle.
“The last few years, we have focused on people getting outside more and appreciating the wetlands and the habitats for shore birds,” Hoeksema said. “We encourage field trips, canoeing, kayaking, photography, and bird watching just for people to get an up-close look at wildlife they would not ordinarily see. We do tours several times a year at Sky Lake and in Tupelo. This is also a way that we can leverage community resources through ecotourism.” For more information visit www.deltawindbirds.org.
