Description of waterbird assemblage in the Jardines de la Reina National Park, Cuba

• Main Authors: Rodríguez-Ochoa, Alejandro, González Alfonso, Alieny, García-Quintas, Antonio
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Facultad de Biología. Universidad de La Habana 2023
• Subjects: archipiélago; humedales marino costeros; área marina protegida; migración otoñal; archipelago; marine coastal wetlands; fall migration; marine protected area; Hora; Arenaria interpres
• Online Access: https://revistas.uh.cu/rccb/article/view/737

Jardines de la Reina National Park is the largest marine protected area in the Carib-bean Basin. Our objective was to describe the waterbirds assemblage during the Falland Spring migration in this protected area. Seven cays of the protected area weresurveyed during the Fall (November-2017 and September-2018, N=25) and Spring(April-2018, N=14) migratory periods. In each cay, we surveyed 1 to 3 one-hour rou-tes, where all birds seen or heard were identified and counted. The recorded specieswere classified according to their permanence status and trophic guild. Thirty-threespecies were recorded corresponding to 69 % of waterbirds reported for the archipe-lago. The Fall migration showed the highest values of species richness and occurrence,adding supporting evidence towards the importance of Cuban wetlands as important stopover sites for migratory water-birds. Pelecanus occidentalis, Charadrius wilsonia and Arenaria interpres had the greatest values of relative abundance andcould be used as bioindicators of the area preservation status. We suggest increasing waterbirds surveys and research inthe region, which could constitute a new Important Bird Area in Cuba, due to the bird aggregations it hosts El Parque Nacional Jardines de la Reina es el área marina protegida más extensadel Caribe. El objetivo del trabajo fue describir la diversidad el ensamble de avesacuáticas durante los periodos migratorios. Se seleccionaron siete cayos, y serealizaron muestreos en los periodos de migración otoñal (noviembre-2017 yseptiembre-2018, N=25) y migración primaveral (abril-2018, N=14). En cada cayose realizaron de 1 a 3 recorridos de 1 h de duración, donde se identificaron y con-taron todas las aves vistas o escuchadas. Las especies registradas se clasificaronde acuerdo a su estado de permanencia y el gremio trófico. Para describir lasdiferencias en el ensamble de aves entre cayos, se estimó la riqueza de especiesobservada y la abundancia relativa (aves/hora) por cayo. Se registraron 33 espe-cies que se correspondieron con el 69 ...