Stopoversites

Stopoversites, often written as stopover sites, refer to locations used temporarily during transit, by both animals and humans. In ecological terms, stopover sites are habitats where migratory birds, bats, and insects rest, refuel, and regain energy during long journeys between breeding and wintering grounds. They provide essential resources such as water, food, shelter, and roosting opportunities. The quality and availability of stopover sites influence migration timing, route choice, and overall survival. Common stopover habitats include wetlands, estuaries, coastal marshes, grasslands, and agricultural landscapes. Disturbance, habitat loss, fragmentation, and climate change threaten many stopover networks, potentially altering migratory behavior and population trends. Conservation efforts focus on safeguarding critical sites, restoring degraded habitats, maintaining habitat diversity, and coordinating transboundary protection to preserve connectivity along flyways. Researchers map stopover networks using field surveys, tracking technologies, habitat assessments, and citizen science data to understand usage patterns and ecological importance.

In human transport, stopovers also denote planned pauses between travel legs, such as between flights or cruises. These non-ecological stopovers can influence trip duration, cost, and the visitor experience, and are sometimes promoted by airlines and tour operators as opportunities to explore a destination.

See also: migration, habitat conservation, flyways, layover, travel planning.