READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

Tepic, Nayarit. July 4, 2016 (Agencia Informativa Conacyt) .- Biologists from the Autonomous University of Nayarit (UAN) are investigating the factors that have caused migratory birds to become permanent residents in the area of the National Marshlands of the state.

Crédit: Wikipedia.

According to the researchers, there are already 544 species of birds, including endemics and migrants in Nayarit. The UAN researcher and biologist, Uki Rosales Huerta, one of the project managers, reported that the status of birds in the Marismas Nacionales Biosphere Reserve, one of the largest ecosystems in the state, has been investigated for six years. Ornithology

He said that so far research reveals that there are migratory species that have become residents, and that others in the region have begun to migrate; even birds that have never been seen before on the site, which makes annual counting difficult.

“The ecosystem gives shelter to species that come to feed, hibernate and reproduce, some stay, we have ringed chickens and discover that the next year they return to the place, migratory species or already residents,” he said.

The biologist said that in Nayarit, during 2015, a study and general census of the birds was carried out, in which 544 species participated and were identified in total, but that work continues to update the estimates on endemic and migratory birds .

He pointed out that as wetlands are dynamic systems, every year the conditions change and the flow of birds makes counts difficult.

“It is necessary to continue working to conclude the real estimate of endemic and migratory birds, because for questions of climate change there are species that are leaving, but others that are no longer seen, return, there are even new species that remain in these sites” , he exposed.

Identify birds and DNA

The researcher commented that currently the group of researchers of the Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada, Baja California (CICESE), the Autonomous University of Nayarit (UAN) and the Weber State University of Utah, are working with the species chorlo snowy (Charadrius alexandrinus).

“The snowy plover inhabits the region that goes from the Lake of Texcoco in the center of Mexico, to the Salt Lake in Utah, United States, and has been cataloged within the special protection birds; they are taking samples of DNA of the species to know particularities of the genetic region of the bird, “he said.

For the monitoring, points have been installed in Texcoco, State of Mexico, in La Paz, Baja California, in Utah and in the Marismas Nacionales region, which includes five municipalities of Nayarit; it to estimate the status of the species.

He noted that the main risk factors that have been identified for birds in the region are global warming, agriculture and the use of insecticides or fertilizers, the dam of rivers and other actions of the hand of man.

The National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (Conabio) records 534 species, 44 endemic, semi-endemic 37 and 15 quasi-pandemic species for Nayarit.

The natural protected area Marismas Nacionales Nayarit has a territorial extension of 133 thousand 854.39 hectares, and is located between the municipalities of Acaponeta, Rosamorada, Santiago Ixcuintla, Tecuala and Tuxpan, which since June 8, 2016 were included in the system of areas natural protected, for its biodiversity and ecological importance, by the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp).

Festival of the Birds of San Blas, Nayarit

The International Festival of Migratory Birds of San Blas has been held for thirteen years, with the objective of participating in actions aimed at the conservation of birds and the ecosystem, as well as community education, research and sustainable development of the area, through ecotourism.

“It is a community project and we have as pillars the conservation of bird habitat, environmental education and ecotourism as a socio-economic activity, as well as supporting innovative research initiatives on these issues,” said the president of the Festival Board (Pafiam) , Rosaura Gascón Villa.

The activist said that the program of the festival that takes place in the last weeks of January, includes the establishment of routes for bird watching, camps for environmental education, courses for guides, artistic and cultural events.

Gascón Villa assured that of the more than five hundred species that have been counted in Nayarit, 428 can be observed in this region of San Blas, since it is one of the most important migratory corridors.

“This project involves researchers from the Autonomous University of Nayarit, the University of Guadalajara, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Pronatura and the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), who endorse the work and training that we offer”.

Each year, the festival chooses a bird that can be endemic, endangered or exotic in terms of its appearance, in order to dedicate the theme of the activities and thereby reinforce knowledge about the species.

“We bet on social transformation based on knowledge, that is why we have conducted courses for guides, we link them with researchers so that they can have first-hand information about the species; There are already experiences of people or guides for sighting birds that live from this activity, “he said.

Finally, the activist said that for 2017, the bird in study and emblematic of the festival will be the Momotus mexicanus, so you can know updated information about this bird whose main feature is a pendulum shaped tail.