EARLY SITE-BASED MANAGEMENT ACTIONS IMPROVE AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER HAEMATOPUS PALLIATUS REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS IN THE QUINCHAO BAY WETLAND NATURE SANCTUARY, SOUTHERN CHILE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58843/ornneo.v37i1.1447Keywords:
Adaptive management, conservation, protected natural area, shorebirdAbstract
Effective management of coastal protected areas is essential for sustaining shorebird populations, but there is limited empirical evidence on how management actions influence reproductive success in human-dominated coastal landscapes. We evaluated the influence of management actions implemented between 2019 and 2026 on reproductive performance of the American Oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus in the Quinchao Bay Wetland Nature Sanctuary, southern Chile. We conducted nest monitoring over four breeding seasons (2022–2026), recording number of nesting attempts, hatching success, and chick survival. We recorded 6.25 ± 2.06 nesting attempts/season (range 4–9 nesting attempts), with a mean 2.5 ± 0.7 eggs/nesting attempt. There was complete hatching failure in the first two breeding seasons (2022–2023, 2023–2024). However, after establishment of management strategies of restricted vehicular access, a human exclusion zone, construction of bird observatories, and responsible pet ownership ordinance, the system transitioned from a scenario of complete reproductive failure to partial recovery. Hatching success increased in the latter two breeding seasons to just over a third of all eggs hatching in 2025–2026, with high chick survival. Vegetation encroachment also led to displacement of nests outside the human exclusion zone, a pattern that was reversed following targeted substrate restoration. Overall, our results suggest that early management actions, informed by ecological monitoring, can contribute to improved reproductive success by addressing specific demographic bottlenecks, particularly during the egg-to-chick stage. This study provides applied evidence of how the integration of monitoring, adaptive management, and local governance can guide effective conservation interventions in coastal systems shaped by human activities.
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