In this proposal, we aim to ensure the long-term viability of the american oystercatcher population of northwestern mexico by identifying and managing the most pressing threats to its survival in…

In this proposal, we aim to ensure the long-term viability of the american oystercatcher population of northwestern mexico by identifying and managing the most pressing threats to its survival in the most critically important areas of its distribution. The american oystercatcher is a focal species of the pacific americas shorebird conservation strategy and is listed as endangered by the mexican government. The coasts of sinaloa, and the associated barrier islands in particular, represent the most important habitats for the conservation of this subspecies. Critical threats to the american oystercatcher will be identified by monitoring survival, habitat use, and breeding success, and specific sites will be flagged as priority areas for future conservation actions. The american oystercatcher is an umbrella species in the region, and this project will positively affect many species that share habitat with this important subspecies. Focusing conservation efforts on the american oystercatcher will provide solutions for multiple problems that are shared among the other 12 species of birds that breed in the coastal dune habitats of the region. Human activities have generated changes in coastal ecosystems that have allowed new threats, such as predator intrusions and various forms of disturbance, to appear in highly vulnerable sites inhabited by american oystercatchers. These threats affect breeding success and put individual survival and population viability at risk in the long term. Fortunately, these threats and their consequences can be prevented, minimized, or even reversed through surveillance and management programs. To this end, we propose actions that include monitoring and banding american oystercatchers in three important coastal lagoons of sinaloa to accurately estimate reproductive success, use of winter habitat, and local survival. This information will help to determine the population status of american oystercatchers during their annual cycle, while providing a foundation for the establishment and implementation of management actions. Furthermore, community rangers will be trained to implement conservation actions, and environmental education materials in the form of signage will be developed to support conservation actions in priority sites. During the development of this project, federal agencies, community groups, and academics will work together in close collaboration to improve the status of oystercatchers and other breeding migratory bird species shared with the USA. Implemented actions will benefit all partners and communities committed to the conservation of shorebirds and their habitats along the pacific americas flyway.