No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeCosta RicaCosta Rica’s Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge Biological Monitoring Program

Costa Rica’s Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge Biological Monitoring Program

The National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), through the Tortuguero Conservation Area (ACTo), is implementing a Biological Monitoring Program in the Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge.

This refuge is located in the northeastern part of Costa Rica, on the Caribbean coast, in the province of Limón.

Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge has implemented protocols developed by the National Ecological Monitoring Program (PRONAMEC), including the shorebird indicator. This allows officials to analyze the migratory route of the bird species Pagazas Reales (Thalasseus Maximus), which is unknown.

According to SINAC, the migratory route of these birds hasn’t been studied, and there is not enough information. With this monitoring program, authorities hope to gain valuable data and improve their knowledge of the species.

Thanks to the monitoring carried out, approximately 400 individuals of this species have been identified. Their colonies can usually be observed at the mouths of this Protected Wildlife Area.

“During counts carried out in 2019, 10 animals were identified and observed for several months. By tracking the bands, we could determine that the individuals came from nesting colonies located in Georgia and Virginia, on the East Coast of the United States, more than 2200 km from Barra del Colorado,” explained Andrea Cruz Siles, who works at the Participative Biomonitoring Program.

SINAC explained that it’s known that, during the winter, Royal Pagazas migrate from the southern United States to Peru and Argentina. Meanwhile, in Costa Rica, they can be found on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.

These animals have few differences between males and females; they are 48 and 50 cm long and can weigh between 350 and 450 g. Their diet includes mainly fish, shrimp, and small crustaceans.

As the migratory route of these birds is barely known, SINAC’s records are key to enhancing conservation actions.

The different biological monitoring programs developed by the institution seek to generate and divulge reliable information on the state of conservation of biodiversity and its trends in Costa Rica.  The objective is to produce data useful for local and national decision-making in the terrestrial, inland water, and marine areas.

Trending Now

Messi, Inter Miami agree to extend contract beyond 2026: source

Inter Miami and Lionel Messi have agreed to extend the Argentine superstar's contract to remain in Major League Soccer (MLS) beyond next year's World...

Looking Back at Life in Costa Rica Before Independence

Costa Rica marks 204 years of independence today, September 15, with parades and lanterns lighting up the night. For expats and visitors settling into...

Costa Rica’s South Pacific Emerges as Prime Drug Route

Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Agency flags the southern Pacific coast as the top spot for drug smugglers. Officials point to four main entry points...

El Salvador Faces Fastest Democratic Decline in Latin America

El Salvador is the country in Latin America and the Caribbean facing the “fastest deterioration” of democracy in recent years, according to a report...

Estée Lauder Opens Skin Longevity Institute in Costa Rica’s Blue Zone

Estée Lauder launched its Skin Longevity Institute at Hacienda AltaGracia, an Auberge Resorts Collection property in Costa Rica, back in May. The spot sits...

Nicaragua Releases Prison Photos of Detained Doctor Amid US Demands

The government of Nicaragua published this Friday photographs in prison of a doctor with Costa Rican and Nicaraguan nationality, two days after the United...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica