Ardea
Official journal of the Netherlands Ornithologists' Union

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Zwarts L. & Piersma T. (1990) How important is the Banc d'Arguin Mauritania as a temporary staging area for waders in spring? ARDEA 78 (1-2): 113-122
There are five indications that the Banc d'Arguin may function as a refuelling station for different wader species wintering in tropical and southern Africa in April. (1) Of the species commonly wintering south of the Banc d'Arguin (Avocet, Greenshank, Curlew), more birds were observed to depart from the area than the 'available' locally wintering numbers; (2) the counts show large temporary increases in the local numbers of Little Stints and Curlew Sandpipers; (3) the sex-ratio counts of Bar-tailed Godwits reveal a decrease in the proportion of males (females are most common in wintering areas south of the Banc d'Arguin); (4) the proportion of juveniles in the catches decreased in Knot, Sanderling Turnstone (juvenile numbers remaining stable in the wintering area) as adult birds which had wintered more to the south moved in; (5) the proportion of males in the catches of Curlew Sandpipers increased (males are known to winter further south). We conclude that the Banc d'Arguin is almost certainly an important refuelling station for Little Stints and Curlew Sandpipers during spring migration, and may be so far several other wader species.


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