About IWSG
The International Wader Study Group is an organisation of enthusiastic professionals and amateurs researching waders, also called shorebirds. The involvement of the members of the IWSG in wader research ranges from observing waders in ones own ‘backyard’ to extensive, long-term studies aiming at a deeper understanding of spectacular wader phenomena like long-distance migration, living in extreme environments and variable reproductive strategies.
The IWSG brings together wader researchers from all continents, which has resulted in many joint research projects. The IWSG publishes a peer-reviewed scientific journal, Wader Study (formerly Wader Study Group Bulletin) and every year members exchange results and ideas during the annual conference, held at various locations in Europe which are always close to wader habitats.
The IWSG cooperates with nature and bird conservation organizations around the world and aims to inform on current threats to wader habitats and populations. The IWSG is open to everyone who wants to contribute to our understanding and appreciation of waders and their habitats.
Membership of the IWSG is currently over 450 worldwide. Members can be found in over 50 countries around the world, including all European countries and many in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Australasia.
Our aims
The aims of the International Wader Study Group are to:
- maintain contact between both amateurs and professionals studying waders
- help organise co-operative studies and projects
- provide a vehicle for exchange of information on waders and their biology
The main means of achieving these aims are through:
- holding a annual conference
- publishing, three times per year, the journal Wader Study
- publishing occasional volumes of International Wader Studies, providing in-depth treatment of individual shorebird issues
- acting as the Wetlands International’s Wader Specialist Group