Coquimbo Bay

Coquimbo Bay WHSRN site covers 206 hectares and is located in the town of Coquimbo and La Serena, Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile. It is a site with extensive sandy beaches and dunes, which also includes three natural coastal bodies of water each with intertidal zones of mud, sand, and estuarine waters: the Laguna Saladita at Punta Teatinos, located in the north, the mouth of the Elqui River near the center, and the El Culebrón wetland in the south.

The site is recognized as a key shorebird site in the Pacific Americas Shorebird Conservation Strategy (2017). In addition, 106 hectares of adjacent ecosystems to the south of the bay have been recognized as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) by BirdLife International (2022) under Criterion A4ii.

Historically, more than 170 bird species, both resident and migratory, have been recorded in the Bay, representing one third of the regularly occurring species in Chile. In addition, the site is home to native and endemic vertebrates, some of which are un Near Threatened or Threatened categories in Chile (e.g. Calyptocephalella gayi, the Helmeted Water Toad).

In terms of shorebirds, the beach and dune areas of Coquimbo Bay are breeding areas that host the entire life cycle of the American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus), Snowy Plover (Anarhynchus nivosus) and Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis), among others. During the spring and austral summer, it is also used as a post-breeding site by numerous Nearctic shorebirds, for example, Sanderling (Calidris alba), Baird’s Sandpiper (C. bairdii), Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres), Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca), Lesser Yellowlegs (T. flavipes) and others, mainly birds migrating through the Pacific Flyway of the Americas. During the fall and austral winter, the site also receives southern migrants such as the Rufous-chested Dotterel (Zonibyx modestus).

Data from various monitoring programs indicate that Coquimbo Bay is also important for species from other migratory groups, such as Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) and Garuma Gull (Leucophaeus modestus), which congregate in large flocks in the northern part of the bay.

The designation as the ninth WHSRN site in Chile is based in part on the biological value of Coquimbo Bay as a breeding and post-reproductive aggregation site for the American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus pitanay), hosting more than 1% of its biogeographic population during the summer and winter seasons and being one of the sites with the highest recorded abundance of the species in Chile over the last decade. Surveys from 2022 indicate the presence of more than 440 individuals in summer and 635 in winter, representing more than 3.4% and 4.8% of the biogeographic population of the species, respectively, according to WHSRN (2017).

The human community in Coquimbo Bay varies in significant ways depending on the time of year. Some groups within the resident population are informed and interested in the conservation of shorebirds and the coastal ecosystem, implementing initiatives for the protection of the site. However, part of the local population is indifferent to environmental issues and does not actively participate in biological conservation, either due to lack of information or lack of interest.

There is also a large transient population that visits the area at certain times of the year, mainly during vacations or holidays. This group is generally not rooted in the area and, with its high density, could cause significant disturbance to shorebird habitats.

In terms of governance, there is currently a Local Technical Committee for the Mouth of the Elqui River Wetland, convened by the GEF Coastal Wetlands Project and composed of more than 30 institutions from the public sector, academia, the private sector and local organizations. There is also a working group for the American Oystercatcher, convened by the GEF Coastal Wetlands – Elqui project.

Among those who supported the designation of the site are coastal property owners, neighborhood councils, research centers, community-based groups, artisanal fishermen’s associations, maritime authorities, and local government public services. Administratively, the site is in the municipalities of La Serena to the north and Coquimbo to the south, whose mayors also supported the designation.

The Red de Observadores de Aves y Vida Silvestre de Chile – ROC (Chilean Bird and Wildlife Observer Network) and the Red de Observación y Conservación de las Aves Silvestres de la Región de Coquimbo – Redaves (Coquimbo Region Wild Bird Observation and Conservation Network) have been monitoring birds in the three coastal wetlands of the Bay – Laguna Saladita at Punta Teatinos, the mouth of the Elqui River, and El Culebrón – implementing biannually the Neotropical Waterbird Census (NWC) and other monitoring programs that have allowed them to describe local shorebird assemblages. At the same time, since 2019, members of Redaves, along with neighbors and other local organizations, have been monitoring the reproductive activity of American Oystercatcher pitanay and delineating nesting areas for the species, as well as participating in education and outreach campaigns as part of the Network for the Protection of Shorebirds and the Car-Free Beaches project, which the ROC coordinates.

In addition, in 2014 the Laguna Saladita de Punta Teatinos and the mouth of the Elqui River were counted as part of the Coastal Shorebird Survey conducted in Chile from Arica to the Los Lagos region. The results for both sites can be consulted in the Atlas de las Aves Playeras de Chile (García-Walther et al. 2017). Then, in the summer of 2019, a survey with similar characteristics was conducted in both sites and throughout Chile.

In February and July 2022, the ROC, together with local collaborators, developed simultaneous bird surveys along the entire Bay. Since 2022, the northern and central sectors of the bay have also been surveyed under the international Migratory Shorebird Project, coordinated in Chile by the ROC.

Other efforts have also been led by the Centro Neotropical de Entrenamiento en Humedales – CNEH (Neotropical Wetlands Training Center) and the Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas – CEAZA (Center for Advanced Studies in Arid Zones), which promote research, outreach and education with local communities. Also, during the summer of 2000-2001, Cristian Cortés completed his undergraduate thesis at the Universidad Católica del Norte with Dr. Guillermo Luna Jorquera and Dr. Roberto Aguilar Pulido, analyzing reproductive aspects of American Oystercatcher in Punta Teatinos. The thesis is entitled “Reproductive aspects and growth of Haematopus palliatus (Murphy 1925) (Charadriiformes: Haematopodidae) in the Punta Teatinos sector, IV Region of Coquimbo, Chile” and was published in 2004.

The site has no official protection, but there are some protection categories in force or in process related to specific sections. Promoted by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment of the Coquimbo Region (SEREMI), the Saladita Lagoon at Punta Teatinos is in the process of being declared a Ramsar site (106 ha). The Elqui River was declared an urban wetland in the section between the Altovalsol sector and its mouth in the Pacific Ocean (492.8 ha; Exempt Resolution No. 833 of the Ministry of the Environment).

In addition, a section of the northern zone of the site is part of the Priority Area for Biodiversity Conservation “Punta Teatinos-Caleta Hornos/Coastal Sector North of La Serena” and a section of the southern zone is part of the Priority Area “Coastal Wetlands Network of the Municipality of Coquimbo”.

Authors such as Tabilo (1987), Tabilo and Noton (1987, 1989) and Tabilo et al. (1996) pointed out decades ago the need to protect the coastal environment of the Coquimbo region, to complement local actions with initiatives such as WHSRN and the Ramsar Convention. Some of the main challenges facing the area are the regulation of mass tourism on the beaches and recreational activities that disturb shorebirds, such as riding jeeps, pet walking and sports in nesting areas; the sustainable development of fishing and aquatic resource harvesting, as well as livestock and grazing; the reduction of the risk of contamination from agricultural, domestic and industrial effluents and solid waste; and the control of exotic species such as rodents or pets that disturb birds.

In addition, the area faces a climatic context of intense drought and past records of tsunami flooding, as well as changes and alterations to coastal habitats due to residential, road, and commercial development.

Several conservation initiatives have been developed at the site in recent years, some promoted by local governments and others by neighborhood groups, universities, research centers, the GEF Coastal Wetlands – Elqui project, and various NGOs. Highlights include beach clean-up days, participatory monitoring programs, community meetings, the #SalvemosElPilpilén (Let’sSaveTheAmericanOystercatcher) and #PlayasSinAutos (#BeachWithoutCars) campaigns, the installation of biodiversity signs, drawing contests, seminars, and environmental education materials. In addition, members of Redaves, Surgencia NGO, Cornell University’s Coastal Solutions Fellows Program, Agrupación Conciencia Ecológica, CNEH, CEAZA, NGO Elqui verde, Olas Limpias, and others have coordinated projects and activities for the valuation of coastal wetlands in the area and frequently collaborate to develop synergies between related initiatives.

Due to the high bird diversity of the area, in February 2020, the authorities made official the Mayor’s Decree N°1952, declaring the municipality of La Serena the “Capital of Shorebirds” and recognizing the American Oystercatcher as its flagship bird, highlighting the scenic and wildlife attractions of the municipality and the importance of healthy coastal ecosystems for resting, breeding and feeding of resident and migratory shorebirds.