They avidly peck on the sandy surface. Pacific Red Knots (Calidris canutus roselaari) search for the eggs of the Silverside (Leuresthes sardina), a species that breeds frenetically on the wet sand of the Upper Gulf of California. Of the hundreds of grayish plumages that move together in search of food in the Gulf of Santa Clara, Sonora, one turned out to be of particular interest.
After bringing the binoculars into full focus, it was quite clear that one of them was 037, the yellow flag on its left leg revealed it. This bird was an old acquaintance of the Pronatura Noroeste experts.
The 037 record on the beaches of the Gulf of Santa Clara has many readings, all positive. It was marked on October 28, 2006 in Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur. On that occasion, the team led by Roberto Carmona, bird expert of Pronatura Noroeste and director of the Bird Laboratory of the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur, was to complete the tagging of the largest number of Calidris canutus roselaari as part of a research and conservation strategy for the species. Conservation is only possible if we understand it; if we understand it, we know more about its habitat; all this brings us closer to better actions for the species.
The coastal ecosystem of Guerrero Negro annually receives an important portion of the population of the Pacific Red Knot, a migratory bird that flies from nesting areas in the Arctic to northwestern Mexico, where it finds shelter and food. At this site, 193 specimens were captured using specialized gear and marked with a yellow flag on the left tibia and a metal ring on the right. This tag has a unique sequential code that allows us to record information about the species and time of capture. Number 037 was an adult, at least two years old.
The coastal ecosystem of Guerrero Negro annually receives an important portion of the population of the Pacific Red Knot, a migratory bird that flies from nesting areas in the Arctic to northwestern Mexico, where it finds shelter and food. At this site, 193 specimens were captured using specialized gear and marked with a yellow flag on the left tibia and a metal ring on the right. This tag has a unique sequential code that allows us to record information about the species and time of capture. Number 037 was an adult, at least two years old.
“The bird lost the red flag on the lower part of its leg, as well as the black color of its code numbers, but we have no doubt about its identity. Since its tagging, this individual has traveled from Alaska to Baja California for 17 years, 39 trips of 5,500 kilometers, for an impressive total of 220,000 kilometers,” said Roberto Carmona.
Documenting 037 indicates that we are doing something right. Being the Pacific Red Knot a threatened species under federal protection, learning of its return allows us to adjust our strategies to promote the conservation of receiving habitats throughout northwestern Mexico. It also motivates us to redouble our efforts in the Gulf of Santa Clara, where our experts, in collaboration with the community, maintain a critical effort to protect the Pacific red Kemp’s ridley during its encounter with spawning silversides. We are doing well, but more is needed.
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