Available macrobenthic invertebrate as prey for shorebirds, Patagonia Argentina

CASTILLO JOANNA MIRIAM; TOLEDO MARGALEF PABLO; SERRUYA ALOISI LUCIANO; ELÍAS RODOLFO; PÁEZ FRANCISCO EZEQUIEL; BALA LUIS OSCAR

Conferencia; 50 International Wader Study Group 2020; 2020

International Wader Study Group

The northern sector of the Golfo San Jorge at South America is an important non-breeding area for neartic shorebirds. Understanding the dietary requirements in stopover and wintering sites is a key to conservation of shorebirds and their habitats. In order to explore the availability of prey for shorebirds, we carry out samples of the benthic community during different dates of the year 2019 at Caleta Malaspina, Patagonia Argentina. Sediments were sampled using coring methods to identify benthic macroinvertebrate taxa and determine their abundances. We identified at least 30 species of polychaetes, crustaceans and clams. Also, we analysed the diet composition of the most common neartic species like the White Rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis), Bairdʼs Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) and Sanderling (Calidris alba) through faecal analysis. Frequency of prey occurrence was calculated and compared. Despite the great diversity of prey available, only a few taxa comprised the main prey consumed by shorebirds. The White Rumped Sandpiper and the Baird?s Sandpiper captured mostly polychaetes of Spionidae family, crustaceans, clams and insects. However, the main prey consumed by the Sanderling were polychaetes (mostly Onuphidae, Orbinidae and Nereididae families), crustaceans and clams.