This endangered bird, which nests on Ensenada’s beaches, faces risks due to vehicle transit, the spread of exotic plants and the presence of free-roaming dogs. Pronatura Noroeste and allied organizations conduct monitoring, environmental
education, and protection efforts to preserve this migratory species.
Each year, between April and August, a small shorebird travels along the coast of Ensenada and San Quintin looking for a safe place to breed and nest. This is the snowy plover (Anarhynchus nivosus), a migratory species currently under threat due to growing human pressure on their natural habitat.
“The snowy plover nests in the sand, in small burrows, making them extremely vulnerable to vehicular transit on beaches,” says Lizz González Moreno, Coordinator of Pronatura Noroeste’s Educación para la Conservación program (Education Towards Conservation).
The risks the snowy plovers face have prompted the installation of signs with warnings of sanctions which go anywhere from 120 thousand to 1 million Mexican Pesos and include up to 9 years of imprisonment for those who violate restrictions. Besides vehicular traffic, other threats include unleashed or wild dogs, the spread of exotic plants, and homeless people living in nesting areas.
Another problem is the removal of algae—often perceived as trash—during nesting season. This eliminates a crucial food source for snowy plovers: small flies and crustaceans that feed among wrack.
Our Labor in Taking Care of the Snowy Plover
In collaboration with associations such as Pacífica at Ensenada Bay, Pro Esteros, Pajareando y Conservando, Punta Banda Conservation Alliance, ZOFEMAT*, and
the Dirección de Ecología municipal (Ensenada’s Ecology Office), have been working actively over the past three years in this species’ preservation in vital areas like Playa Pacífica, Conalep, Militares, and Barra del Estero.
In addition, Ensenada’s councilor, Daniela Salgado, has joined the cause this time.
During nesting season, we are constantly monitoring to locate and identify nests in order to protect them and increase their chances of reproductive success.
In parallel, we have been developing environmental education activities in schools and bird sightings to raise awareness in the community.
González Moreno said, “Shorebirds have a role in the food chain, and we share their preservation with other countries. What we do here has an impact beyond our borders.”
To date, we have registered 36 birds, 3 nests, and 3 chicks in the protected area. Each couple can produce up to two broods per season, and it is common for the male to take care of the chicks while the female looks for a second mating partner.
Snowy plover preservation is essential not only to protect endangered species, but also to maintain the ecological balance on northwestern Mexico’s beaches.
*20-meter-wide strip of land along the entirety Mexican coasts belonging to the Federal Zone and overlooked by the Ministry of Environment
Translated by: G. Rubio León & Airam Norzagaray
Reviewed and edited by: César Egüez
