CARIBBEAN FLAMINGO CONSERVATION GROUP

GCFC

WHAT IS GCFC?

The Caribbean Flamingo Conservation Group (CFCG) is an alliance of specialists associated with different organizations and institutions interested in and responsible for the conservation of this species and its habitats. It is currently the scientific arm of the Caribbean Coast Conservancy and is represented in each country by a coordinator who, in turn, is part of the CCC's advisory council to fulfill its mission.

OBJECTIVE: 

To promote the union, liaison and exchange of experiences among groups of specialists belonging to each of the Caribbean countries that have the presence of the flamingo on their coasts, so that they become disseminators of the environmental problems faced by this species at the local and extraterritorial level, coordinating efforts in the conception, updating and implementation of a single regional strategy that allows the conservation of viable populations, thus contributing in an essential way, with the mission and vision of CCC by being part of its scientific council.

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR ACTION:

Generate a regional conservation strategy for the sustainability of the Caribbean Flamingo populations.

To this end, the first step is the integration of a steering group, made up of members with legal, political and scientific support, in which environmental administrations, civil organizations, academic institutions, communities, researchers and other interested persons will also be invited to participate. Each one of them will have a commitment to develop concrete actions related, initially, to the compilation and evaluation on a national scale of the available scientific information and practical experience, the conformation of a baseline with which to continue conservation management, and the establishment of the first non-formal (or non-binding) contacts with potential key actors in the process of research or conservation of the flamingo. This group would also work on the strategic planning of the Caribbean Flamingo Conservation Group.

In order to be efficient, this management requires a dynamic and iterative process in planning, execution and evaluation, so the information generated by each country is provided to the GCFC management.

The American or Caribbean Flamingo was considered a metapopulation by Galvez et al. (2016), corroborated through the visual recapture of marked birds in Mexico with presence in other countries. It is considered metapopulation for functioning as "groups of populations" connected by a number of individuals of the same species that move among them. The flamingo, although they can be observed in the coastal wetlands of both the insular and continental Caribbean, their presence is due to the dispersion that occurs from individuals coming from the breeding colonies, which today exist only in five of these nations.

While the size of the specific population, within each country, is the result of birth and mortality over time, in the case of metapopulation, the same effect is the result of the extinction of one or some of the local populations or the colonization of a new one.
This implies that for the flamingo, on the one hand, births and deaths within each country are important, and on the other, extinctions and colonizations of breeding populations. For new colonizations to occur, there must be a certain number of patches with specific potential resources associated with conservation objectives within the local populations.

In this metapopulation approach, understanding the distribution and functioning of the populations that comprise it, with their different degrees of interrelation and also of disturbance, will allow decisions to be made that are more in line with a dynamic that encompasses an extraterritorial context. In other words, protecting and conserving the population of the Caribbean Flamingo in any of these countries, without first conceiving it as part of a metapopulation, could result in erroneous and counterproductive strategies in the management of this species as a natural resource, if we accept this definition by (Galvez et al.; 2016) based on the considerations of (Hanski and Gilpin, 1997; Hanski and Simberloff 1997; Harrison and Taylor, 1997) in López_ Pérez, R.A; F. Becerril_ Morales (1989) Although the Caribbean flamingo is not currently on the IUCN Endangered Species list, aspects of its biology, the historical disappearance of its breeding sites in several countries, and the imminent threat of the affectations and reduction of its critical habitats due to anthropogenic or natural factors such as global warming, make it vulnerable and a candidate for urgent conservation measures in all the sites where it lives. Professionals working with this species in different countries face a difficult situation in many cases to achieve their objectives, as they have extraterritorial repercussions that make it difficult to implement actions in search of mitigation solutions.
This is the reason why a group of experts was formed by the CFCG with representatives in more than 10 countries, where important populations of the species are found, to constitute the scientific arm of CCC and form part of the technical advisory board of the NGO, supervise the study and management of this target population, as well as to design an Integral Conservation Program for this species shared by all the countries of the Caribbean region.

In 2007, flamingo specialists from several Caribbean countries and Spain met in Yucatan for the first time. Experiences were exchanged and the importance of repeating these exchange meetings was corroborated, and although the results achieved were not published or disseminated, this undoubtedly constituted the first step in this regional effort in favor of flamingo conservation.

In February 2013, the II International Workshop of the Group for the Conservation of the Caribbean Flamingo (GCFC) was convened in Yucatan, Mexico, specifically in the beautiful port of Celestun. It was attended by representatives of specialists and institutions involved in the study and conservation of flamingos in the Caribbean, from countries such as Mexico, Cuba, Bahamas, Venezuela, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Bonaire and Antigua, and experts from Spain, France and the United States were also invited.

With the participation of several specialists from different countries, both from the islands and the continent, an exchange of experiences was achieved based on historical research and up to 2013, based on a single questionnaire with 67 questions that includes 12 aspects of importance to assess the status of the populations and the conservation status of the flamingo, which was previously sent to each one of them. The answers to the questionnaire were presented by the delegates through an oral presentation, submitted for discussion in plenary sessions and the result of the debate was recorded in a document that allowed all those present to know the general situation of the species and its habitats and the identification of gaps and opportunities for each nation. This information constituted the working guide for the work of CCC from 2013-2023.

By sharing and analyzing this information, it was possible to identify the problems common to most of them, in order to start working in the near future on the elaboration of a proposed plan for the conservation of the meta-population. It was identified which countries had the best and worst scenarios for the conservation of the species in the short term and what was urgent to achieve a study project applied to conservation in each country.
It was possible to compile and learn about the historical and recent research that existed, which were potentially applicable for the purpose of proposing management and those that could be replicable between countries. All of this was captured in a document that served to conceive the research strategy approved in plenary session, to be executed at different times, within the 5 lines of research identified as priorities.

It was agreed that all countries that have banded should submit a copy of their information to the single database (SIAM.202) as well as the band readings that are recorded, and that Cuba, under the direction of the University of Havana and in the person of the CFCG representative, should be the custodian of this database for the next four years.

At the closing ceremony, the structure of a website was presented for approval, as an indispensable tool for communication, dissemination and fluid and permanent exchange of the group. The founding document that will characterize the Group for the Conservation of the Caribbean Flamingo (GCFC) was discussed and approved and signed by all the participants. The presentations, fundamental results and agreements reached were recorded on a CD and each delegate took this information home at the end of the workshop to disseminate it in his or her country.

In March 2023, the III CFCG meeting will be held, with the objective of updating the information of each country based on the guidelines approved in 2013, its development in the last ten years, reviewing the agreements, gathering information based on the results of scientific studies that have been carried out in the decade. This analysis will lead to an update of the Strategy, as well as the current capacities and tools that each member country has to implement it. This multi-scale initiative is the only way to maintain viable populations with enduring functional habitats in the short, medium and long term for the pink flamingo throughout its range, the Caribbean Coast Conservancy's strategic objective based on the CFCG agreements. The participation of researchers and non-governmental groups from the different countries, during the discussions of this workshop, will allow for a better understanding and depth of analysis, so that the members can influence the governmental institutions of the state they represent, and implement the conservation management conceived within this regional strategy, adapting them to the specific conditions of the country in question.

THE CARIBBEAN FLAMINGO CONSERVATION GROUP'S STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

In the plenary session on February 8, 2013, at the II International Workshop of the Group for the Conservation of the Caribbean Flamingo (CFCG), specialists from the countries directly involved in the founding of this group met, with the goal of knowing that potential investigations are replicable between countries, which can be done among all and in what priority steps can the group support, to achieve the objective of homogenizing the necessary studies and achieve proposals for solutions in the short, medium and long term.

In the presence of representatives of specialists and people involved in the study and conservation of the flamingo in Mexico, Cuba, Bahamas, Venezuela, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Bonaire and Antigua, the following elements were discussed and agreed to be reviewed and improved as part of the GCFC science policy programmatic platform.

Based on the premise that the three basic pillars of any species conservation program should focus on research, education and management, since all three groups of actions are basic to achieving its goal, the Caribbean Flamingo Conservation Group agreed on the vital need to develop research to fill the significant information gaps that exist and to complete a baseline to support the evaluation of future changes or responses to management actions.

Consequently, they agree to the following CLAUSES

Establish as fundamental research lines to promote, support or develop, within the scientific policy of the group, the following:

Line 1: Evaluation of population sizes at different geographical scales, from locality, country to region, together with the description of the distribution of the flocks of flamingos and their mobility patterns.

This line includes the monitoring of populations through the analysis of their abundance by means of population counts. It also includes estimates of breeding populations concentrated in nesting colonies and the establishment of a program of simultaneous local censuses in a network of fixed localities that include areas of large concentrations as well as areas of small stable populations. These counts will provide more accurate information on medium- and long-term population trends. The distribution of the species' aggregation zones will be developed through aerial counts where possible.

In a region such as ours, which includes a large number of small populations distributed over a wide and mostly insular area, the study of mobility patterns becomes a priority, as the Flamingo is a highly agile species and considered nomadic by several authors. To this end, the CCC encourages and prioritizes ringing and ring-reading work. At the time of writing there are already about 6600 flamingos banded between Mexico, Bahamas, Venezuela and Cuba. A fundamental tool in this line will be the study of their population genetics, samples of which can be obtained during banding campaigns.

Studies of the effect of impacts on populations, both direct anthropic ones, such as tourism, hunting, or those caused by drastic natural phenomena such as hurricanes, must be conducted.

 Line 2. Reproductive studies using standardized protocols for estimating colony size, productivity and success.

Starting from the conservationist importance of the breeding areas for the maintenance of regional populations, and the risk implied by the concentration in small and very localized geographic areas, an effort is needed in research related to the sizes of the colonies, the reproductive success and chick production. These studies must follow standard methodologies between countries, in order to be able to analyze the data jointly and to have a comparative value.

In locations where aerial surveys are not the best options, such as Cuba, minimum global population estimates can be drawn from breeding populations in existing nesting grounds. Investigations of other elements of reproduction, such as biometrics of eggs, nests and chicks, studies of parasitism, hemochemistry, hematology and ethology, can be carried out locally to increase knowledge of the general biology of the species. 

Line 3. Habitat studies focused on the physical-chemical and biological variables of the feeding and reproduction areas.

Given that the relationship between population dynamics and its distribution with environmental variables has been strongly evidenced, studies involving the estimation of relationships between biological variables and explanatory environmental variables, particularly climatic variables, which may be the undergo the most obvious changes in projections of future conditions. (methodology, flock monitoring in feeding areas Galvez and Dennis©)

Habitat studies must be developed at different scales, including analysis at the landscape level that allows evaluating the degrees of fragmentation or connectivity and its link with demography or distribution. The GCFC supports the use of novel tools in this line, such as spatial analysis supported by geographic information systems and the analysis of spectral variables from remote sensing that allows studies of historical evolution.

Line 4. Studies related to the adaptation or mitigation of the effects of climate change, both biological responses of the species and its use as a resource. This line must be supported by basic studies of the previous lines in order to develop predictive models in different scenarios of possible climate change.

Taking into account the inevitability of climatic changes due to human activity, research that integrates the information that can be obtained in the previous lines with the perspectives of such changes should be promoted. The very specific characteristics of the flamingo habitat, and especially its connection with wetland systems that are among the potentially most vulnerable ecosystems, make integrative analyzes and projection modeling essential in different scenarios of changes in temperature, rainfall , currents, water levels and others. This type of studies must be developed in integrated, multidisciplinary and transnational efforts.

Line 5. Studies of basic aspects of the biology or ecology of the species, with real or potential implications for its conservation or management, or that can support or sustain causal explanations of distribution or abundance patterns.

Particular emphasis should be given to studies related to food ecology, and the factors that determine the abundance, distribution and availability of trophic resources, as well as their variations related to climatic, edaphic and water physical-chemical factors. Behavioral and biometric studies in flamingos can serve to increase knowledge about the species, and can be developed at local scales.

Studies related to conservation medicine should also be conducted to ensure early warning of possible epizootics of emerging diseases in areas with large concentrations of flamingos, which would endanger the survival of large sectors of the population.

It was agreed to carry out actions to achieve a standardization of census methodologies and reproductive studies, in order to guarantee comparable and integrable data sets and results in studies at different spatial and temporal scales. To promote this standardization, it was agreed to suggest the development of methodological workshops before the next meeting.

It was agreed to create a research advisory committee to assist in the organization and design of studies in those countries where it is needed, in agreement with the advisory board and with financial support from CCC.

It is agreed that the FIRST AND THIRD of the lines of research supported or promoted by the GCFC will be considered PRIORITY.

NEWS

  • Reunión de ministros del Medio Ambiente de América del Norte

Environmental ministers from Mexico, the United States and Canada visit the flamingo breeding colony at Ejido San Crisanto.

July 16th, 2022|Comentarios desactivados en Ministros de medio ambiente de México, Estados unidos y Canadá visitan la colonia de reproducción del flamenco en el Ejido San Crisanto.

The head of Mexico's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), María Luisa Albores González, hosted her counterparts, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada (Environment Canada) and the Minister of [...]

Hurricane Irma Devastates the Caribbean

September 12th, 2017|Comentarios desactivados en El huracán Irma Devasta el Caribe

Hurricane Irma Devastates the Caribbean, with fatalities and millions of material losses in its wake, and one of the emblematic bird species of this region has also been severely affected. [...]

  • anillamiento flamencos

CartaCuba Bulletin – Banding. News and prospects

April 8th, 2014|Comentarios desactivados en Boletín CartaCuba – Anillamiento. Actualidad y perspectivas

Ringings of Caribbean Flamingos in Yucatan: current situation and perspectives ABSTRACT For fifteen years, the NGO Niños y Crías AC, in coordination with the management of the [...]

ARTICLES / BLOG

The reproduction of the Caribbean flamingo in Venezuela

June 17th, 2021|Comentarios desactivados en La reproducción del flamenco del caribe en Venezuela

THE REPRODUCTION OF CARIBBEAN FLAMENCO IN VENEZUELA In Venezuela, the coastline in the Caribbean Sea, from Castillete in Zulia, to the Paria Peninsula, Sucre, is 2,813 km long, where there are [...]

Reproductive phenology of the Yucatecan Matraca

July 5th, 2017|Comentarios desactivados en Fenología reproductiva de la Matraca Yucateca

Reproductive phenology and nesting success of the Yucatecan Matraca ABSTRACT In the present study, the reproductive phenology was described and the nesting success of the [...]

Waterfowl Conservation for the Americas

July 5th, 2017|Comentarios desactivados en Conservación de las aves acuáticas para las Américas

The North American Waterfowl Conservation Plan SUMMARY Waterfowl have been the objects of human praise for centuries. Have served [...]

PRESENTATIONS AND POSTERS