The Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) and Least Tern (Sternula antillarum), two migratory birds protected by Mexican law, will have better nesting conditions on the beaches of Ensenada, Baja California, this season. This thanks to the fact that on March 31, several environmental organizations, in collaboration with Ensenada’s municipal government and the student community of the Autonomous University of Baja California, placed a temporary fence around the nesting area, in the area known as Playa Pacifica.
The installation of the temporary fence, which covers an area of 0.7 hectares, was carried out by Pacifica at Ensenada Bay, ZOFEMAT, Ecology and Environment of Ensenada, Pajareando y Conservando, Pro Esteros, Manomet, the Coastal Solutions program of the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, and Pronatura Noroeste. This will prevent the birds from being disturbed by visitors and other invasive factors in the urban area, allowing them a better chance of establishing their nests and achieving successful egg hatching, thus ensuring a new generation.
Snowy Plover and Least Tern are two species of birds considered flags of conservation by the community of Ensenada. Both are considered within the biological monitoring of birds through the MOTUS network where Pronatura Noroeste is involved, which enables us to know the population status and detect risk factors for these and other birds.
Both migratory bird species have their nests in the sand, so they are threatened by factors like urban development, recreational activities, and invasive species such as feral dogs and cats. Since 2018, campaigns have been carried out to protect the nests of these birds, a time when 18 nests and 24 chicks hatched in the protected area of Playa Pacifica.
With the installation of the protective fence, the 2023 Snowy Plover and Least Tern Monitoring and Conservation Season begins. The protocol event was attended by Oscar Quiñonez Uribe, Undersecretary of Ecology and Environment of the XXIV Ensenada City Council, Alfredo Figueroa, Director of the Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone (Zofemat), and Christian Garrido, representing Councilwoman Marcela Valdez.
To support this valuable conservation project and be part of this fascinating wildlife protection story, please contact us at lgonzalez@pronatura-noroeste.org
