With the participation of Chile’s Minister of the Environment, Maisa Rojas, and as part of the celebration of World Shorebird Day, the launch of the Action Plan for the Conservation of Shorebirds in Chile took place at the Desembocadura y Estuario del río Maipo WHSRN site.
Chile plays a major role in the Pacific Flyway of the Americas, with 49 regular shorebird species found here, 23 of them Nearctic and 26 Neotropical.
The Plan prioritizes and guides the actions needed to conserve shorebirds and their habitats in Chile, within the framework of the National Bird Conservation Strategy 2021-2030.
The document was developed through a nationwide participatory process that brought together more than 70 key stakeholders from five macro-zones of the country: North, Central, Central-South, South, and Austral. The Conservation Standards were followed as a methodology, and the process was facilitated by our partners at Red de Observadores de Aves y Vida Silvestre de Chile with strategic guidance from Manomet.
Left: American Oystercatcher. Right: Whimbrel roosting at WHSRN Site “Desembocadura y Estuario del Río Maipo”. Photos: Diego Luna Quevedo.
Maisa Rojas noted that “Shorebirds are highly threatened species globally and nationally, which highlights the relevance of having this plan. It will allow us to guide the action and efforts of various stakeholders to increase and strengthen the conservation capacity of shorebirds and their habitats. It is very important to define objectives to mitigate and reduce the main threats to this group of birds”.
With a 2030 horizon, the Plan identifies twelve main threats to shorebirds in Chile and prioritizes ten conservation targets with five strategic objectives designed to mitigate and reduce threats: 1) Strengthen governance and mechanisms for conservation; 2) Empower and engage the community and interest groups; 3) Promote research and monitoring; 4) Protect and manage sites; 5) Encourage best practices in environmental impact assessment and productive activities.
Cover of the Action Plan for the Conservation of Shorebirds in Chile
This national planning includes all shorebirds and their habitats throughout the country, excluding Antarctic territory and oceanic waters. It is intended to go through 2030, with revisions, evaluations and updates.
The Plan was approved by the Ministry of Environment through Exempt Resolution No. 0597 dated June 23, 2023.
Download the Shorebird Conservation Action Plan here
Cover Photo: Shorebirds flying over the WHSRN Site Humedal Marino de Coihuín en Chile. Photo: Daniela Díaz.
