Waterbird & seabird monitoring workshop in Lévrier Bay, Mauritania

The training workshop focusing on the identification and monitoring of waterbirds and seabirds in the Baie du Lévrier (Nouadhibou, Mauritania), was organizsed by IMROP with support from the Wadden Sea Flyway Initiative. Through classroom sessions and extensive fieldwork, participants practiced species identification, counting techniques, and data collection across multiple coastal sites. 
In total, 55 species and 36,776 individual birds from 21 families were recorded, with gulls, terns, and waders being the most abundant groups. Given that the number of waterbirds far exceeds the international 20,000‑bird threshold used for Ramsar site designation, the Baie du Lévrier is confirmed as an area of major ecological importance for wterbirds. 
The workshop highlighted the need for continuous ornithological training and for establishing a national network dedicated to coordinated waterbird monitoring and conservation awareness.