Join the Tenth Annual Migratory Shorebird Project survey
As we begin the countdown to the next Migratory Shorebird Project (MSP) count, this year will be the tenth year of surveys for some of the partners in Central America. The counts will begin on January 16 and end on February 15, 2022, a 30-day window to visit each of the sites to understand their status and which migratory shorebirds have returned to their wintering habitat that stretches from United States to Chile. In this note we tell you who to contact if you wish to join the MSP network, we also share overall results from 2021 and detailed results from several important Central American sites.
Protocols and Counts
The MSP site network has a hierarchical spatial design that begins at the Pacific Flyway, followed by sites (protected areas, Ramsar sites, etc.) and within the sites are the sampling units. This year, disturbance protocols have been implemented for the third time in the sampling units, recording both natural and human disturbances and their effects on shorebirds. In 2021, the habitat assessment protocol was implemented for the first time, using the Asociación Calidris assessment guidelines. This was a complementary activity and contributes data to the conservation impact assessment being conducted with Cornell University’s Ornithology Lab, Advance Conservation Strategy, and the Center for the Study of Natural Heritage (Centro de Estudios del Patrimonio Natural, CECPAN).
Left: Salt pans El Conchal, Bahía de la Unión, Gulf of Fonseca in El Salvador. Important concentrations of Wilson’s Plover (Charadrius wilsonia) Photo: Vicky Galán. Right: Mixed flock at Salinas Santos, Colorado de Abangares in Costa Rica.
MSP Organizations and Volunteers
MSP is a collective effort, chaired by a Steering Committee led by Point Blue Conservation Science, with support from Manomet, Birds Canada, La Ensenada Public University of Mexico, Asociación Calidris and the U.S. Forest Service International Program. This program also has the participation of local partners from Alaska to Chile. Local organizations lead the annual counts and activities in each region.
In 2021, a total of 30 local organizations in Central and South America participated. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, volunteer inclusion efforts have been limited, however, this year a total of 117 volunteers participated.
Central and South America overall results.
MSP Sites and Shorebirds
This year on the Pacific coast of Central and South America 203,875 shorebirds were counted at 106 sites and 413 sampling units. The information that has been generated since 2012 in the sampling units can be explored at www.migratoryshorebirdproject.org. See below some of the abundance maps by site that can be found there:
Cover Photo: Whimbrels resting during high tide at Corococas, Punta Morales in Costa Rica.
