The first binational workshop was held this month in Río Gallegos – with professionals from Argentina and Chile – to establish joint actions in favor of the conservation of the Magellanic Plover (Pluvianellus socialis). Scientists and environmentalists from both countries consider it necessary to take measures to prevent its extinction.
This species, also known as the Magellanic Plover, is a shorebird that is only present in southern South America. In Chile, it breeds in the region of Magallanes and the Antarctic area, while in Argentina it does so in Tierra del Fuego and Santa Cruz.
Threats to the Magellanic Plover
Between 2021 and 2002, the first censuses were carried out in both countries to have an accurate estimate of the total population of these birds. Scientists and technicians from Ambiente Sur Association (Argentina) and the Leñadura Bird Rehabilitation Center (Chile) inspected hundreds of nesting sites. After the review, they concluded that there are not more than 500 individuals of Magellanic Plovers.
From the Leñadura Bird Center, they consider that the main threats to the species are “the strong pressure from trampling of nests, degradation and reduction of its habitat in the Patagonian steppes and lagoons.” They warn that the development of green hydrogen industrial projects could increase pressure on habitats.
Alerted by the situation, in February 2024, the Foreign Ministries of Chile and Argentina made a joint presentation that resulted in the Magellanic Plover being included in Appendix I of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) as a migratory species “In Danger.” This categorization was the starting point for a fluid collaboration between the two countries.
Argentina and Chile united for the Magellanic Plover
The first binational workshop was organized by the Ambiente Sur Association, the Leñadura Bird Rehabilitation Center, and Manomet Conservation Sciences. For the meeting in Río Gallegos, scientists, specialists, local and national authorities from both countries were convened.
During the sessions, information on the current status of the species was shared, threats were identified, and priority actions for its conservation were established.
Work was carried out based on four axes that will guide the actions: research and monitoring; safeguarding and management of critical sites; management and governance, and involvement of stakeholder groups.
Diego Luna, Policy and Governance Specialist of Manomet Conservation Sciences, stated that without “urgent responses, we could witness the extinction of this species in the short term.”
Fact
The Magellanic Plover, an endemic species of Patagonia, was declared a Provincial Natural Monument by the provincial Legislature of Santa Cruz through Law No. 3373. The sanction was given on June 12, 2014, for being one of the most compromised species in terms of its conservation.
