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The Parc National du Banc d’Arguin (PNBA), Mauritania is one of the most important sites along the East Atlantic Flyway, not only for migratory waders but also for breeding waterbirds. The avifauna of the area, however, is increasingly under anthropogenic pressure and the numbers of many species are showing sharp changes. This short study presents an update on the long-term trends in the total number of birds at the Banc d’Arguin based on the total count that took place in January 2020. Further, we assessed the dynamics of six species that showed significant changes in numbers up to 2017 based on eight complete counts since 1980. We found that the total number of waders is still showing a significant decline and the total count of 2020 was similar to that of 2017. Of the six species assessed, only Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus showed a marginal increase in numbers, while Red Knot Calidris canutus, Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata and Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus still show a significant decrease in numbers. Finally, Long-tailed Cormorant Phalacrocorax africanus showed no significant change in numbers since 1980, although the species seems to be increasing since 2007. Most of the declining species belong to migratory Western Palearctic – W Africa populations, and these local trends are similar to trends observed at the flyway level. The Afrotropical species seem to be generally stable or increasing in many cases, with a marked increase in the numbers of Lesser Flamingo Phoenicopterus minor. The causes of the observed changes in waterbird numbers are discussed. |
