Quantifying the importance for waterbirds of an urban rocky coastal site in Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Abstract

Tejera, G. & Rodríguez, B. Quantifying the importance for waterbirds of an urban rocky coastal site in Lanzarote, Canary Islands. Wader Study Group Bull. 121(1): 1–8. We present the results of monthly censuses of waterbirds in a rocky coastal sector of the city of Arrecife, Lanzarote (Canary Islands). Spatial and temporal changes both in species abundance and composition were studied during two annual cycles. An aggregate total of 8,927 individuals were counted, representing 7 families, 14 genera and 24 species. The most diverse family was Scolopacidae (11 species), and the most abundant was Laridae. All species recorded in this study are considered to be regular migrants through the Canary Islands, except the vagrant Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis. Three species also breed regularly in the archipelago: Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis, Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus and Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus. Most waterbirds were found at the end of the summer, in winter or in late spring. For some species, spatial differences in occurrence were also observed between the different sectors of the study area. An average of 577 ±176 individuals, belonging to 18 species, spent the winter at this site; this represents 24.9% of the total Canarian wintering population of Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula, 21.7% of Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola, 13.0% of Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus and 12.5% of Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica. More than 1% of the Spanish wintering population of Ringed Plover and Whimbrel can be found in this area. Due to its proximity to the city, there is high human pressure, so several management measures should be implemented to guarantee the conservation of the ornithological value of this site.

Full text

Quantifying the importance for waterbirds of an urban rocky
coastal site in Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Gustavo Tejera1& Beneharo Rodríguez2
1C/Guadarfia 30, 35550, San Bartolomé, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain. debajodelrisco@hotmail.com
2Canary Islands Ornithology and Natural History Group (GOHNIC), C/La Malecita S/N, 38480,
Buenavista del Norte, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Tejera, G. & Rodríguez, B. Quantifying the importance for waterbirds of an urban rocky coastal site in
Lanzarote, Canary Islands. Wader Study Group Bull. 121(1): 1–8.
Keywords: Canary Islands, waterbirds, community, migratory, East Atlantic Flyway, conservation
We present the results of monthly censuses of waterbirds in a rocky coastal sector of the city of Arrecife,
Lanzarote (Canary Islands). Spatial and temporal changes both in species abundance and composition were
studied during two annual cycles. An aggregate total of 8,927 individuals were counted, representing 7
families, 14 genera and 24 species. The most diverse family was Scolopacidae (11 species), and the most
abundant was Laridae. All species recorded in this study are considered to be regular migrants through the
Canary Islands, except the vagrant Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis. Three species also breed regularly
in the archipelago: Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis, Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus and Kentish
Plover Charadrius alexandrinus. Most waterbirds were found at the end of the summer, in winter or in late
spring. For some species, spatial differences in occurrence were also observed between the different sectors
of the study area. An average of 577 ±176 individuals, belonging to 18 species, spent the winter at this site;
this represents 24.9% of the total Canarian wintering population of Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula,
21.7% of Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola, 13.0% of Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus and 12.5% of Bar-tailed
Godwit Limosa lapponica. More than 1% of the Spanish wintering population of Ringed Plover and Whimbrel
can be found in this area. Due to its proximity to the city, there is high human pressure, so several management
measures should be implemented to guarantee the conservation of the ornithological value of this site.
INTRODUCTION
Millions of waterbirds migrate along the East Atlantic
Flyway (EAF) (Smit & Piersma 1989) to reach their
wintering sites in Africa, travelling along the western coasts
of Europe and West Africa (Wetlands International 2012,
Zwart et al. 2009). Many of the species involved are
declining, particularly due to loss or degradation of
wetlands, and also other reasons (International Wader Study
Group 2003). Along this route, many wetlands (both coastal
and inland) are used by a large number of waterbirds as
stopover or wintering sites. The key sites, such as Doñana
in Spain, Merja Zerja in Morocco and Banc d’Arguin in
Mauritania (Dakki et al. 2001, Isenmann 2006, Rendón et
al. 2008) provide large areas of suitable habitat, high food
availability and low levels of disturbance by humans or
natural predators, thus sustaining impressive numbers of
waterbirds. There is also a large network of small-scale
stopover, staging or wintering sites which support smaller
numbers and less diverse migratory waterbird communities.
These sites are important because birds migrating along the
EAF do not rely solely on the key sites for their migration,
and also require intermediate locations where they can stop,
even in species that are known to cover vast distances in
nonstop flights (Warnock 2012, Weber et al. 1999). The
small-scale stopover sites are becoming more important
given the recent destruction or alteration of many wetlands
(Green et al. 2002, Kloskowski et al. 2009, Ma et al. 2010,
Shine 2003). Therefore, monitoring data for these sites are
also needed for targeted conservation actions (Platteeuw et
al. 2010, van Roomen et al. 2011).
The Canary Islands are situated close to the coast of NW
Africa (<100 km, Fig. 1). They are on the border of the EAF
and lie at the southern limit of the wintering range of several
waterbird species (Lorenzo & González 1995). Probably due
to their close proximity to the African mainland, the flow of
migrants is more visible and important in the eastern islands
of the archipelago, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura (Lorenzo
& González 1995, Martín & Lorenzo 2001).
Island ecosystems are frequently fragile and vulnerable
(species impoverishment, niche expansion, higher density,
reduced breeding rates, etc.), and contrast with the more ro-
bust systems of nearby continents; therefore islands are often
of conservation importance (Whittaker & Palacios 2007).
Several studies on habitat use, migratory phenology or num-
bers have been conducted in the Canary Islands (Fernández
del Castillo 2002, González & Pérez-Aranda 2011, Lorenzo
1993, Lorenzo 1995a,b, Lorenzo & Emmerson 1996,
Lorenzo & González 1995, Lorenzo & Rabuñal 1993, Pala-
cios 2004, Ramos et al. 1996, Rodríguez & Rodríguez 2011),
but quantitative annual censuses are still lacking for the ma-
jority of important coastal sites for waterbirds.
In this study, we present information on the waterbird
community of a rocky coast sector of Arrecife, the capital
Wader Study Group Bulletin 121(1) 2014: 1

Wader Study Group Bulletin 121(1) 2014
2
city of the island of Lanzarote. The aim of the study was: (a)
to describe the waterbird community in quantitative terms,
(b) to evaluate spatio-temporal variations in the waterbird
guild, and (c) to assess the relative importance of the site for
wintering waterbirds at regional (Canarian archipelago),
national (Spanish) and international (EAF) scales.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The study was conducted at La Marina de Arrecife (28º57’N,
13º33’W) on the southeast coast of Lanzarote, Canary
Islands. This site is part of the coastal sector of Arrecife city
(57,357 inhabitants; Cabildo de Lanzarote 2013), between
Islote del Francés and Punta del Camello (El Reducto),
covering around 2 km (Fig. 1). At this site, some islets are
linked by artificial bridges, small beaches, rocky shores and
reefs that in some areas create shallow lagoons <10 m deep.
Vegetation cover in emerged areas is very sparse and
dominated by halofilous species, such as Policarpaea nivea,
Traganum moquinii, Zygophyllum fontanesii and Launaea
arborescens. The ecological importance of this site has been
noted due to its high marine biodiversity (Guadalupe et al.
1996, Noguera-Mellado 2001, Noguera & Riera 2011a,b)
and its utilization by a large number of migratory waterbirds
(Barbosa 1997). The study area was divided into four sectors
which vary in size and in the proportion of rocky and sandy
coastline (see Fig. 1 and Table 1).
We counted all waterbird species of the families Ardeidae,
Threskiornithidae, Haematopodidae, Scolopacidae, Charadri-
idae, Laridae and Sternidae monthly from June 2010 to May
2012 (see Appendix 1). Whenever possible, rainy and windy
days were avoided. Censuses were conducted independently
of the tidal cycle because it is a small area that could be
covered as a whole; i.e. both high-tide roost areas and low-
tide feeding areas. We used binoculars (10x) and a telescope
(20x60) to identify and record all the birds detected
(including those heard or observed flying), following the stop
and wait method (Bibby et al. 1992). The order and nomen-
clature of the species and family lists follow Gutiérrez et al.
(2012).
Fig. 1. Location of the study area at La Marina de Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, showing the sectors (highlighted in light grey) where
waterbird censuses were conducted (RE = El Reducto, IG = Islote de San Gabriel, JR = Barra de Juan Rejón, IF = Islote del Francés).
Table 1. Total area (ha) and percentage of rocky and sandy areas of the four sectors studied in La Marina de Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary
Islands.
Sector Code
Area (ha) Percentage
Total Intertidal zone Rocky Sandy
El Reducto RE 21 6.7 50 50
Castillo San Gabriel IG 11.3 4.4 85 15
Barra de Juan Rejón JR 13 4.1 100 0
Islote del Francés IF 7 4.1 90 10

Tejera & Rodríguez: Quantifying the importance for waterbirds of an urban rocky coastal site in Lanzarote 3
We considered four parameters in describing the
waterbird community: Abundance – the number of birds
counted each month; Density – the number of birds/ha;
Richness – the number of species detected; and Diversity –
the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (Krebs 1999). We used
Friedman’s non-parametric test to evaluate monthly differ-
ences between the four sectors with respect to Density and
Richness, and a Wilcoxon signed rank test to evaluate differ-
ences in monthly values of Density and Richness during the
two annual cycles (Dytham 2003). Statistical analyses were
conducted using SPSS v.15, and statistical significance was
set at P<0.05.
The counts for December and January were used to
evaluate the relative importance of the study area for repre-
sentative wintering wader species. The average value for
these months was considered the wintering population size,
and was compared: (a) at a regional level with the population
sizes of the same species during winter (December–January)
at other sites in the Canarian Archipelago where studies have
been conducted (Fernández del Castillo 2001, Lorenzo 1993,
Ramos et al. 1996); (b) at a national level with current
wintering population estimations for Spain (González &
Pérez-Aranda 2011); and (c) at a flyway level with the
estimates of populations/subspecies/species using the EAF
(Wetlands International 2012).
RESULTS
During the 24 months from June 2010 to May 2012, an
aggregate total of 8,927 waterbirds was counted, repre-
senting 7 families, 14 genera and 24 species (Appendix 1).
The most diverse families were Scolopacidae (11 species),
Laridae (5) and Charadridae (3) (Fig. 2). The family Laridae
was the most abundant group followed by Charadridae and
Scolopacidae (Fig. 2). The most abundant species was
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis (46.7% of the total
waterbirds counted), followed by Ringed Plover Charadrius
hiaticula (11.4%), Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus
(7.5%), Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis (7.0%), Grey
Plover Pluvialis squatarola (5.2%), Lesser Black-backed
Gull Larus fuscus (5.0%), Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria
interpres (3.6%) and Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus (3.2%)
(Table 2). All the species recorded are considered regular
winter visitors to the Canary Islands (Appendix 1), except
the vagrant Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis, and three
species that regularly breed in the Canarian archipelago:
Yellow-legged Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Kentish
Plover.
The four parameters used to describe the waterbird com-
munity throughout the year varied greatly (Fig. 3, Appendix
1). The highest values of Density, Richness and Diversity
were observed at the end of summer and beginning of spring,
with lowest values in May, June and July (Fig. 3). No sig-
nificant inter-annual differences in Density or Richness were
detected (Z= -0.314, P = 0.754 and Z= -1.876, P = 0.061,
respectively).
Spatial differences were observed in some of the param-
eters (Fig. 3, Table 2). The sector with highest monthly
mean Density was El Reducto (8.6 birds/ha/month), while
the lowest value was for Juan Rejón (Table 2). The highest
Richness was recorded at El Fránces (n = 21), while maxi-
mum Diversity was recorded at Juan Rejón (3.27) (Table 2).
Density varied significantly among the four sectors during
the first year (Friedman test, = 17.80, P = 0.001), but not
Fig. 2. Abundance (annual average number of individuals) and richness (number of species) per waterbird family recorded at La Marina de
Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, between June 2010 and May 2012.

Wader Study Group Bulletin 121(1) 2014
4
Table 2. Mean monthly count (N) and density (D = birds/ha/month) of all waterbird species in all four sectors of La Marina de Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, between June 2010 and May 2012
(% = percentage of total birds counted).
Species
Castillo Fránces Juan Rejón Reducto Total
%
N D NDND N DN D
Little Egret Egretta garzetta 0.96 0.08 1.08 0.15 3 0.23 1.5 0.07 6.54 0.54 1.76
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 0.38 0.03 0.42 0.06 1.71 0.13 0.79 0.04 3.29 0.26 0.88
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 0.17 0.02 0.5 0.04 0.04 0 0.71 0.06 0.19
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus 0.04 0.01 0.04 0.01 0.01
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula 24.21 2.14 14.83 2.12 1.79 0.14 1.75 0.08 42.58 4.48 11.45
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus 17.75 1.57 7 1 1.79 0.14 1.46 0.07 28 2.78 7.53
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola 1.04 0.09 4.54 0.65 13.13 1.01 0.67 0.03 19.38 1.78 5.21
Sanderling Calidris alba 5.33 0.47 3.25 0.46 0.21 0.02 1.42 0.07 10.21 1.02 2.74
Little Stint Calidris minuta 0.04 0 0.04 00.01
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea 0.13 0.01 0.04 0.01 0.17 0.02 0.04
Dunlin Calidris alpina 0.92 0.08 0.58 0.08 0.17 0.01 1.67 0.18 0.45
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica 0.5 0.04 0.33 0.05 1.08 0.08 0.29 0.01 2.21 0.19 0.59
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus 1.79 0.16 2.79 0.4 6.46 0.5 0.96 0.05 12 1.1 3.23
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata 0.04 0 0.04 0 0.01
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 0.83 0.07 1.46 0.21 0.88 0.07 0.21 0.01 3.38 0.36 0.91
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 0.08 0.01 0.08 0.01 0.08 0.01 0.25 0.03 0.07
Common Redshank Tringa totanus 0.04 0.01 0.04 00.08 0.01 0.02
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres 3.13 0.28 3.92 0.56 5.21 0.4 1.17 0.06 13.42 1.29 3.61
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus 3.67 0.32 0.75 0.11 2.13 0.16 1 0.05 7.54 0.64 2.03
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus 1.33 0.12 0.13 0.02 0.54 0.04 0.13 0.01 2.13 0.18 0.57
Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis 0.04 0.04 00.01
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 1 0.09 0.04 0.01 1.17 0.09 16.21 0.77 18.42 0.96 4.95
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis* 13 1.15 4.08 0.58 4.21 0.32 152.38 7.26 173.67 9.31 46.69
Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis 0.04 0 10.5 1.5 14.83 1.14 0.79 0.04 26.17 2.68 7.03
Total 76.13 6.74 56.08 8.01 58.96 4.54 180.79 8.61 371.96 27.89
Richness 19 21 20 17 24
*Due to the difficulty in correctly identifying juvenile and first-winter individuals of Lesser Black-backed Gull and Yellow-legged Gull (Olsen & Larssen 2003), it is possible that some individuals counted as L. michahellis were
L. fuscus.

Tejera & Rodríguez: Quantifying the importance for waterbirds of an urban rocky coastal site in Lanzarote 5
during the second year (= 6.10, P = 0.107). Richness differed
significantly between sectors during both the 2010–2011
and 2011–2012 annual cycles ( = 12.523, P = 0.006 and =
13.821, P = 0.003, respectively).
During winter (December and January), our study area
was used by an average of 577 ±176 waterbirds of 16–18
species (Appendix 1), the most abundant species being
Yellow-legged Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Ringed
Plover, Grey Plover and Black-headed Gull Chroico-
cephalus ridibundus (80.5% of all birds counted). Numbers
remained fairly high during late winter and the early part of
northward migration (February–April), but decreased to a
minimum in the breeding season of most migrants (May–
July). Return passage started in August and numbers were
high throughout the main period of southward migration
(September–November; Fig. 3).
In a regional context, La Marina de Arrecife held 24.9%
of the total wintering population in the Canary Islands of
Ringed Plovers, 21.7% of Grey Plovers, 13.0% of Whim-
brels and 12.5% of Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica
(Table 3). For some species, such as Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos, Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres and
Sanderling Calidris alba, other sites are more important than
our study site (Table 3). In a Spanish context, La Marina de
Arrecife supports >1% of the wintering populations of
Ringed Plover and Whimbrel (Table 3). In a flyway context
no species reached 1% of the EAF population (Table 3).
DISCUSSION
The importance of the La Marina de Arrecife study site for
wintering waders is remarkable within the Canarian context,
particularly for Ringed Plover, Grey Plover and Whimbrel
(Table 3). Our results also highlight the importance of the
eastern sector of the archipelago in comparison to the
western islands for wintering waders. This is probably
explained by the smaller distance to the mainland coast of
Africa, as well as the presence of larger areas of suitable
waterbird habitat, such as large beaches and coastal rock-
platforms (Lorenzo & González 1995). On the other hand,
it is probably the lack of extensive areas of suitable
waterbird habitat at Arrecife that explains why the diversity
and abundance of waterbirds there is much lower than that
of the wetlands on the nearby NW Africa coast, which are
some of the most important stopover and wintering sites for
waterbirds in the Western Palearctic (Dakki et al. 2001, El
Hamoumi & Dakki 2010, Smit & Piersma 1989, Zwarts &
Piersma 1990, Zwarts et al. 2009).
The waterbird community at Arrecife comprised families
and species typical of all the coasts of the Canary Islands
(Fig. 2). However, some wader species recorded in previous
studies were not found in this study, namely Pied Avocet
Recurvirostra avosetta, Red Knot Calidris canutus and Ruff
Philomachus pugnax (Lorenzo 1993, Lorenzo & Emmerson
1996, Martín & Lorenzo 2001, Ramos et al. 1996). This
could be related to lack of suitable habitat at the study site
(see Lorenzo, 1995b).
Although the highest numbers of waterbirds were found
at the end of summer, in winter and in late spring there was
rather little seasonal difference, apart from the breeding-
season exodus (Fig. 3). This is typical of the phenology
observed at other similar sites that have been studied in the
Canarian archipelago (Fernández del Castillo 2002, Lorenzo
1993, Ramos et al. 1996) and at the nearby NW Africa sites
(Dakki et al. 2001, El Hamoumi & Dakki 2010). This could
be an indication that the area is mainly important as a
wintering site and less important as a stopover for birds
wintering further south.
During counts, we detected 8–10 breeding pairs of
Kentish Plover, a species that has decreased dramatically in
the Canary Islands in recent years, mainly due to habitat
degradation and human disturbance (Lorenzo 2007). The
higher number of Kentish Plovers counted in some months
(see Appendix 1) might be explained by movements of birds
between the islands of the Canarian archipelago or by birds
of continental origin using the area during migration
(Lorenzo 2007).
Due to its proximity to Arrecife city, there are frequently
high numbers of people and dogs in our study area. Further-
more, La Marina de Arrecife is a traditional shell-fishing
area, and almost every day fishermen collecting crabs Xanto
sp. cause disturbance to foraging waders. The consequences
of human disturbance for wader populations are difficult to
determine (Gill 2007) but may include temporary loss of
foraging habitat (Dias et al. 2008, Navedo & Herrera 2012)
and increased nest failure (Sutherland et al. 2012). We
believe that many Kentish Plover breeding failures at the
study site are related to frequent human presence close to
their nests.
In recent years, Arrecife Town Council has implemented
several measures to conserve the biological value of La Ma-
rina de Arrecife, including not allowing people to walk dogs
near Kentish Plover breeding sites. However, we believe
Fig. 3. Seasonal variations in mean monthly abundance of all
waterbird species, species richness (number of species) and
diversity (Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index) in four sectors of La
Marina de Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands (RE = El Reducto, IG
= Islote de San Gabriel, JR = Barra de Juan Rejón, IF = Islote del
Francés) between June 2010 and May 2012.

Wader Study Group Bulletin 121(1) 2014
6
that additional conservation measures are necessary. It is
particularly important that the site should be included within
the Canarian Network of Protected Natural Areas, and that
management prescriptions should be developed to guarantee
the conservation of its biological, cultural and geographical
value. These should include: (a) regulating human presence
according to the phenology and habitat requirements of dif-
ferent species; (b) prohibiting access to the most important
Kentish Plover breeding areas; and (c) installing information
signs explaining the ecological importance of the area and
the conservation regulations applicable.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank Carlos Armas, Alejandro Perdomo
and Ico Tejera for their help during the fieldwork, and Juan
Amat, Airam Rodríguez, Humphrey P. Sitters, Pedro
Lourenço and Jeroen Reneerkens for their comments and
suggestions that greatly improved earlier versions. The
English version was revised by Ramón Noguera, Maria
Jesús García and Anne Rees. We are indebted to the Port
Authority and Town Council of Arrecife (particularly Ruth
Hernández) for their support and collaboration. Data collec-
tion was partially supported by SEO/BirdLife based on a
project funded by the Arrecife Town Council for the study
and conservation of waterbirds.
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Table 3. Mean population size during winter, December and January, of the most common wader species in selected sites of the Canary
Islands where studies have been conducted, and regional, national and international importance of La Marina de Arrecife, Lanzarote (EAF
= East Atlantic Flyway). Note that the datasets relate to different years.
Species
Mean wintering populations % of the Canary Islands
winter populationd
Population of
Arrecife as % of
the population of:
Tenerife southa
Tenerife northwestb
Tenerife northeastc
Arrecife
Tenerife southa
Tenerife northwestb
Tenerife northeastc
Arrecife
Spaind
EAFe
Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula 16 4.5 13 48 8.3 2.3 6.7 24.9 1.009 0.066
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola 9.5 0 7.5 41 5 <0.1 4 21.7 0.636 0.017
Sanderling Calidris alba 55 0 0 15 18.5 <0.1 <0.1 5.1 0.59 0.012
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica 1.5 0 0 3.5 5.4 <0.1 <0.1 12,5 0.195 0.003
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus 3.5 3 6.5 10 4.5 3.9 8.4 13 2.907 0.004
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C. Grey Plover; D. Whimbrel (photos: Gustavo Tejera).

Wader Study Group Bulletin 121(1) 2014
8
Appendix 1. Total number of waterbirds recorded in the monthly censuses carried out at La Marina de Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, between June 2010 and May 2012.
Family Species
2010 2011 2012
Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May
Ardeidae
Little Egret Egretta garzetta13388310 6 15 4 22 1 2715 16 19 4 7 4 10 4 4
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 22 4 6 5 46 2 2
Threskiornithidae Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 2 2 111 1 112 2 1 1 1
Haematopidae Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus 1
Charadriidae
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula 51 21 40 34 103 32 64 43 36 33 3 1 32 78 85 106 64 54 84 62 35 6
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus121 18 27 29 35 61 24 33 20 35 33 22 21 29 37 38 43 24 23 20 28 13 18 20
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola 23 5 6 16 15 31 31 38 52 5 2 1 420 21 31 51 33 37 46 11 4
Scolopacidae
Sanderling Calidris alba 3 10 12 14 19 15 20 7 12 513 23 15 15 11 25 21 5
Little Stint Calidris minuta 1
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea 11 2
Dunlin Calidris alpina 1 5 1 2 1341 2 6 4 2 5 3
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica 1133 3 4 6 4 4 2 1 1 6 2 4 3 12 1 1
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus 33 21 13 10 13 8 12 4 4 23 10 13 921 27 22 7 11 9 14 11 16 4
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata 1
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 245 9 6 2 4 43 4 1567763 3
Common Redshank Tringa totanus 11
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 1 2 2 1
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres 7 14 12 20 18 7 8 12 10 10 13 110 920 16 24 17 16 12 19 43 4
Laridae
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus 268 63 10 4 2 8 6 10 6 2
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus 15 20 1 4 4 2 5
Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis21
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus110 8532 2 5 2 4 5 37 156 78 70 28
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis111 41 43 698 257 456 277 147 109 27 76 23 9 36 42 129 106 345 445 216 469 166 30 10
Sternidae Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis 13 34 7 28 23 8 199 24 16 38 16 12 5 101 101 3
Total 52 72 145 852 450 716 569 438 295 390 231 82 48 90 165 385 399 647 827 472 863 506 178 55
1Species with breeding population in the Canaries; 2Vagrant species according to Martin & Lorenzo (2001).