A suburban continental wetland (El Salitral, Rawson, Argentine Patagonia) as a wintering site for the Magellanic Plover (Pluvianellus socialis)

MUSMECI, LUCIANA; GATTO, ALEJANDRO; LANCELOTTI, JULIO; RIVERA, SANDRA; POZZI, LUCIANA; LISNIZER, NORA

Congreso; 9th Meeting of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Group; 2022

Western Hemisphere Shorebird Group y CENPAT (CONICET)

The Magellanic Plover (Pluvianellus socialis) is an endemic species of Southern Patagonia and is one of the focal species of the National Plan for the Conservation of Shorebirds in Argentina. During the summer, they breed in continental wetlands, while in autumn and winter, they disperse along most of the Argentina Atlantic coast. However, the winter records are scarce in relation to the territory inhabited by the species and the estimated population (1,500 individuals). In this study, we report a new wintering site located in El Salitral (43°16’S, 65°06’W), Rawson (Chubut Province, Argentina), a salty continental wetland, suburban and affected by anthropogenic processes. Surveys were conducted during sporadic visits in autumn and winter, from 2018 to the present. The species was observed regularly in this wetland, with records between 8 and 21 individuals between April and August. El Salitral could have at least 1.4% of the estimated population (1500 individuals).The hydrological dynamics of the wetland are affected by fluvial discharges and wastewater treatment from the neighboring city Trelew. It is proposed to implement a systematic monitoring program for this population to evaluate its permanence in the area, study its trophic ecology, and assess potential threats given the proximity of the wetland to two densely populated urban centers (Rawson and Trelew).