Birds are endangered due to the degradation and pollution of their habitats, soil change, and human disturbance. If birds, especially migratory ones, do not have suitable sites for feeding, rest, and reproduction, it is highly likely that in the medium or long term, their populations will decrease. With the aim of reducing the threats migratory birds confront, especially those that affect shorebirds that spend part of the annual cycle on the Pacific coast of Mexico, for the past 27 years, Pronatura Noroeste has conducted diagnostics and implemented conservation projects in priority sites.

The Pacific migratory route crosses the northwest of the country. Consequently, the association promotes strategies of local, regional, and multinational participation that involve collaborative exploration and studies to protect, manage, and conserve bird habitats; added to the creation of action plans are educational materials and the training of environmental promoters to share the importance of maintaining these sites and the connection with biodiversity, with the goal of reducing human disturbance.

A subspecies of great importance that Pronatura Noroeste maintains as it is in danger of extinction is the Red Knot (Calidris canutus roselaari), which, in its trajectory through the Pacific migratory route, winters in Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur; in Marismas Nacionales between Sinaloa and Nayarit; in the south of Sonora; Upper Gulf of California; and during the spring migration, in the Gulf of Santa Clara, Sonora. 

The first site where the association’s Bird Conservation team began to study the Red Knot was Guerrero Negro, including the area of Salt Exportation S.A. of C.V., which in addition to being the biggest salt flat in the world and having close to 33,000 hectares of artificial wetlands that serve as a stop for migratory birds, is an important ally that cares about the conservation of these birds and the makes it possible to carry out these projects in its territory.

For 15 years, explorations, marking, and bird monitoring have been conducted in these artificial wetlands, in collaboration with the technical team from the Bird Laboratory of the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, coordinated by Dr. Roberto Carmona. This technical team tagged several individuals in this salt flat in 2008, among them a Red Knot upon which they placed a plastic tag with the number 455, which has allowed them to identify it elsewhere through re-observation.

In 2010 they also started working with the subspecies in the Gulf of Santa Clara in Sonora, where it stops during the spring to rest and feed upon the eggs of the Pejerrey, an endemic fish. This site and phenomenon in the bird’s food chain is essential for it to complete its trip to its breeding grounds in Alaska and Russia. Even so, a great threat it faces on this coast is human disturbance, since its stop coincides with the celebration of Holy Week and the site receives a large influx of people who, in addition to taking up their space on the beach, get close to the birds and bother them, take a large number of Pejerreyes for their consumption but end up wasting a large portion, and ride four-wheelers on the coast and disturb the birds as they eat.

In this priority site, Pronatura Noroeste monitors shorebirds, the Pejerreyes, and conserves habitat; and for a decade each spring bird marked 455 in Guerrero Negro is observed, which indicates fidelity of this subspecies to the Gulf of Santa Clara. In the last four years, a group of women from the community, called the “Pejerreinas,” have been involved in birdwatching and since then have collaborated each season to protect the feeding area of the Red Knot. In 2019, their commitment to the conservation of this and other species increased, and the Bird Conservation team trained the Pejerreinas to give talks to visitors through an informative module about the importance of this site and the actions they could take to respect the birds’ space.

For these women, it is important to protect the feeding areas and inform about the environmental issues of their beach where the birds also live, and they hope that in a near future the visitors are more aware, that their behaviors are harmonious with nature, and that they enjoy watching this unique interaction between the Red Knot and the Pejerrey, and that the conditions for the birds are favorable.

Among the characteristics that indicate migratory birds are extraordinary species are the great distances they fly between continents or when crossing countries, considering their size, the effort they make, and the challenges they face due to threats. To follow their movements along migratory routes, identify the places they fly, the time spent in each location, and monitor the years they have survived, technologies such as specialized plastic telemetry tags, radio transmitters, and satellite tags are used.

To conduct research projects, Pronatura Noroeste uses specialized yellow plastic tags, and, thanks to them, obtains valuable information that indicates the success of the conservation strategies by observing the birds marked with them in the worksites each year. However, using satellite tags would improve these strategies, especially in the case of the Red Knot. It is estimated the total population of this bird is 21,700 individuals, 10,000 of which winter in Guerrero Negro, close to another 5,000 together between Marismas Nacionales, the south of Sonora, and the Upper Gulf of California, which means it is unknown where a little more than 20% of the population is during this same period.

By implementing the tags, obtaining the results, and identifying other priority wintering sites in Northwest Mexico, the association would be able to meet the conservation needs of the subspecies and its habitats. To achieve this, it is important to collaborate with technology and conservation partners, who, like Pronatura Noroeste, want to prevent a reduction in the population of Red Knot and ensure the wetlands of the region are ideal for allowing the natural cycle to take place. Each strategy the association uses in its projects with the subspecies has the aim of preventing a catastrophe like the one that happened in the Delaware Bay, where a population seriously decreased due to a lack of pan crab eggs.

Pronatura Noroeste’s migratory shorebird conservation projects have undoubtedly been made possible thanks to the donors, research institutes, organizations, foundations, and individuals who have contributed to improving their habitat. At the same time, we recognize the value of the technical team working in the field to connect with the birds, implement activities, and share with others the importance of conserving natural wealth.

If you would like to support the continuation of Pronatura Noroeste’s bird conservation projects, contribute here.