The Djoudj National Bird Park, located in Saint-Louis, is one of the main wintering sites for migratory birds in Africa. This information was confirmed by Colonel Ibrahima Guèye, Director of Senegal’s national parks, during the day dedicated to the international counting of waterbirds.
When discussing this subject, Colonel Guèye recalled the importance of migratory birds, which cross continents. He stressed that, during this dedicated day, considerable efforts are made to ensure an accurate count of avian populations in these key areas. “The Djoudj is a place of capital importance for the wintering of birds,” he said, according to information collected by the APS.
During the official ceremony at the Djoudj National Bird Park, several national park agents were present to assess the populations. It was clarified that the counting process can extend for almost six days in certain regions of the country. Currently, the data is being compiled, said Guèye.
The bird adopted for this edition is the tawny dendrocygne, a species native to the Senegal River Delta. The parks director expressed his intention to better understand the reasons for the gradual decline of this species. Presentation sheets have also been developed to raise public awareness of this species and its situation.
Colonel Guèye also highlighted the importance of waterbirds, revealing that they are valuable indicators of the quality of wetlands. He recalled that the Djoudj National Bird Park is a Ramsar area, recognized as being of international importance by the Ramsar convention for many years.
This recognition highlights the value in conservation and restoration of wetlands, a subject that is all the more relevant in the face of the challenges of climate change, he concluded. The International Waterbird Count (IWBC) program, led by Wetlands International, has been a key initiative since 1967 in monitoring avian populations in more than 150 countries.
This report was read on the website of our APS colleagues.
