The Americas have four regions for waterbird monitoring activities: North America, the Caribbean, Central America and South America. Migratory waterbirds move between these regions along three main flyways: the Pacific Americas, Central Americas and Atlantic Americas. Vast numbers of shorebirds, gulls and terns travel along these flyways from the breeding grounds in Arctic Canada to the mudflats and deltas of the South American coast. Many Anatidae species also move between the northern Tundra and the rivers, shores and farmlands of the USA and Mexico. These are important quarry species for Canadian and American hunters. The region also boasts a rich diversity of non-migratory and endemic waterbird species, especially on the isolated islands of the Caribbean and in the tropics of South America.
Flyway initiatives underway
- The International Waterbird Census has 3 regional programmes in the Americas: the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC), Central American Waterbird Census (CAWC) and Neotropical Waterbird Census (CNAA).
- The International Shorebird Survey (ISS) operates across the region in the migration seasons.
- The Waterfowl Breeding & Habitat Surveys are conducted annually in Canada and the USA.
Other resources
- Birds Caribbean resource library
- Migratory Bird Data Center
- Neotropical Waterbird Census (CNAA) count results 1990-2012
Contact: Dr. Daniel Blanco, Director Wetlands International Latin America and Caribbean