By: Juanita Fonseca and José Ramón Ávalos
Translated from the Spanish by the WHSRN Executive Office
During the 2023 breeding season (April-July), we monitored shorebirds nesting on shrimp farms in the wetlands of Sinaloa, Mexico at the Bahía de Santa María WHSRN Site (Acuícola El Botetero and Acuícola Rosarito), Ensenada de Pabellones WHSRN Site (Acuícola El Chapeteado and Acuícola Rebeca), and Estero de Urías (Acuícola Don Jorge).
We recorded four species of shorebirds, Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), Wilson´s Plover (Charadrius wilsonia), Killdeer (Ch. vociferus), American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus); and two species of seabirds Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) and the Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) nesting in the farms. In total, we recorded 221 nests. The most represented species was the Black-necked Stilt with more than 66% of the nests found. In addition, we were able to band shorebird chicks for follow-up and we are hoping for their return in the coming years.
Shorebirds have found an important nesting site on shrimp farms. However, harvesting activities on the farm can put pressure on breeding populations especially with the lack of information and signage to indicate nesting sites to avoid disturbance. Therefore, this season we carried out habitat assessments to determine the best conditions for nesting while organizing talks and workshops with farm workers to teach them about each species and nest characteristics so they can be cautious when moving around the farms. We also installed informative signs that will help inform, protect, and conserve breeding shorebirds.
Check out the video above to see the field work in action with social service providers and volunteers from the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa) and the University of Guadalajara (Universidad de Guadalajara) who joined us in the data collection and installation of signs.
Cover Photo: Information sign inside a shrimp farm in Sinaloa. Photo: Juanita Fonseca
