Bahía de Tóbari

Bahía de Tóbari is located along the Gulf of California in northwest Mexico, in the Municipality of Benito Juárez, Sonora. It contains 16,700 hectares (41,267 acres) of shorebird habitats, including Isla Huivuilai, a barrier island in the center of the bay. This area is part of the “Gulf of California Islands” Protected Area for Flora and Fauna, owned and managed by the National Commission on Protected Natural Areas (CONANP by its Spanish acronym).The bay is a WHSRN Site of International Importance for hosting more than 10% of the biogeographic population of the frazari subspecies of American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus frazari) — federally listed in Mexico as being “in danger of extinction.”

At least 44,000 shorebirds representing 17 species were recorded at Bahía de Tóbari in December 2013, including 2.3% of the biogeographic population of American Avocets (Recurvirostra americana); 1.2% of Willet (Tringa semipalmata), and 3.0% of Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa). The site contains grasses and algae, mangroves, mudflats, and sandy areas that provide food and shelter for both migratory and resident shorebirds as well as other wildlife.

In 2012, the 4-km bridge between the island of Isla Huivuilai and the coastline was removed to restore natural water flow that had been impeded for 40 years. As part of the island’s community-supported Management Program, site partners seek to minimize threats, particularly disturbance, to shorebirds and habitats; remove and prevent invasive species; and involve the community in environmental education and bird-related conservation actions.

The site is also covered by a regional ecological ordinance that requires conservation projects, coastal and industrial fishing, and tourism to be carried out in a sustainable way. Predominant threats at the site, in addition to human disturbance of shorebirds and habitats, include contamination from metals and chemicals from human sources, primarily agricultural and aquaculture activities.