Abundance of Shorebirds on the Caribbean Coast of Guatemala

The Punta de Manabique Wildlife Refuge in the inner Gulf of Honduras, Guatemala, was surveyed for shorebirds from August 2000 to June 2001. Shorebirds were counted along beaches, coastal lagoons and river mouths. A total of 25 species was recorded. Species richness and abundance were highest in a zone where several river mouths and coastal lagoons occurred. The most common species, each accounting for >5% of all individuals observed, were in decreasing order of abundance: Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius), Sanderling (Calidris alba), Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola), Collared Plover (Charadrius collaris), Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla), Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), and Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus). Species composition differed between autumn and spring by 42%. For all surveys a total of 2,673 individuals was recorded, and flock size ranged from 2 to 35 birds, indicating that Punta de Manabique is a secondary migration site for shorebirds.