The American Oystercatcher can be found on both sides of the coast of the Baja California peninsula and the west coast of Mexico. It is listed as “Endangered” by the Mexican Government. The coastal lagoons of Sinaloa, particularly the barrier islands, are the most critical habitat for the conservation of this species. This project aims to ensure the long-term population viability of the American Oystercatcher by monitoring and managing its main threat in its most important area of distribution. This includes engaging community groups, the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas of Mexico (CONANP in Spanish), and academics committed to its conservation.
The activities of this project –managed by FONNOR– include monitoring American Oystercatchers in three coastal lagoons in Sinaloa (Navachiste-San Ignacio-Macapule, Santa María-La Reforma, and Santuario Playa Ceuta), maintaining a banding program to estimate their reproductive success, winter habitat use, and local survival; establishing and implementing coyote management protocols in their main breeding sites; training community rangers in the conservation, protection, and monitoring of the American Oystercatcher; and developing environmental education materials to promote the conservation of the species in focal sites.
