The coast of Suriname is one of the most important wintering areas for North American-breeding shorebirds, with over 1.5 million birds dependent on the coastal wetlands for their annual survival. Surveys in the 1970s and 80s resulted in the designation of three areas as WHSRN Sites of Hemispheric Importance (Bigi Pan, Wia Wia and Coppenamemonding), primarily for the globally Near Threatened Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla). Furthermore, more than 70% of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca and T. flavipes) wintering on the coast of South American are found in Suriname (Morrison & Ross 1989). Unfortunately, little information is available on the state of habitats or trends in shorebird populations along the coastline, mainly due to difficulties in accessing many areas, making regular surveys hard to implement.
There have been, however, some clear indications of declines in shorebird populations. Ottema & Ramcharan (2009) reported steep declines for Lesser Yellowlegs based on regular surveys at a site called Weg naar Zee (“Road to Sea” in Dutch). Otte Ottema, a Dutch ornithologist and shorebird expert who has lived in Suriname since 1999, started regular surveys at Weg naar Zee in 2000 using the International Shorebird Survey (ISS) protocol. In those days, the Lesser Yellowlegs, his favorite shorebird, were common winter visitors on the mudflats, but by 2009, numbers had dropped by 80%. Although shorebirds are hunted in Suriname, Ottema & Ramcharan (2009) considered local hunting pressure to be an unlikely source of the decline, given that there were no parallel declines in the numbers of Greater Yellowlegs.
Map of Weg naar Zee highlighting the main count points (red dots) and area surveyed (blue polygon).
Weg naar Zee is an easy accessible coastal area of about 10,000 acres (41km2) situated 6.2 miles (10 km) northwest of Suriname’s capital Paramaribo with habitat dominated by mudflats and mangroves. In recent years the area has suffered from extreme erosion which has resulted in an absence of soft sling mud, a preferred foraging habitat for shorebirds. Fortunately, Prof. S. Naipal, a hydrologist at the Anton de Kom University of Suriname, has been installing sediment trapping structures and planting mangroves in order to revert the erosion. The approach has been a success, with the newly restored sediments attracting shorebirds.
The return of shorebirds to the area was first noted by Otte in early 2020, and with the support of an anonymous donor to Manomet, he and Ashraf Tilburg are now undertaking a year of surveys at Weg naar Zee, repeating the ISS protocol he used two decades ago. It is hoped that the surveys will provide a glimpse of the status of shorebirds along the entire coastline. To date, a total of 16 surveys have been conducted recording 45,975 shorebirds of 16 species, all but one Collared Plover (Charadrius collaris) North American migrants. The most abundant species have been Semipalmated Sandpiper with 38,023 individuals, Lesser Yellowlegs (2,978 individuals) and Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) with 1,750 individuals. Peak numbers were recorded during southbound migration in September and October.
Left: Otte Ottema. Right: Ashraf Tilburg monitoring shorebirds at Weg naar Zee, Suriname
“We believe that that monitoring shorebirds along the coast of Suriname is key to help inform conservation planning, protection and raising awareness among local people” said Otte and Ashraf. A decade ago Otte would easily see up to 20,000 Semipalmated Sandpipers at Weg naar Zee, whereas the highest count during the past migration season is just 2000 individuals. Local changes in the habitat caused by erosion have likely been the main driver of these changes in numbers. The erosion is due to the loss of mangroves, resulting in a change in coastal dynamics, illustrating how mangrove deforestation can impact shorebirds.
Fortunately, in the case of Weg naar Zee, the mudflat restoration activities that are being implemented at the site by Prof. Naipal and his team appear to be working, resulting in improved habitat for shorebirds. The ISS surveys carried out by Otte and Ashraf serve an important role in documenting the success of the restoration work. They will continue until July 2021 to complete a full year of surveys. They also hope to be able to continue surveys in the future, in order to document the success of coastal restoration work and provide a local barometer of the status of shorebirds along the coast of Suriname.
Cover Photo: Shorebird habitat at Weg naar Zee.
