Current view: Text account
Site description (2015 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA extends eastward along Guyana's coast from just east of Georgetown to the western edge of the mouth of the Corantyne Riverm near the Suriname border. It extends inland along the fringe of the coastal plain to include a portion of the agricultural land, mostly rice fields, that covers most of the region.
Guyana's coastline harbors large numbers of migratory shorebirds, which congregate in large numbers (100,000+) at suitable sites during peak migration times (mainly August-November) and occur in smaller numbers throughout the year. Shorebirds utilize virtually all habitats within the IBA, with the exception of densely populated urban areas, and may conduct daily movements between inland and coastal habitats in response to tidal flucations. The IBA features especially large concentrations of Semipalmated Sandpiper (
Calidris pusilla; NT), and Red Knot (
Calidris canutus; NT) occurs regularly in the IBA as well. Three other species of birds currently listed as NT occur commonly in forested habitats of the IBA: White-bellied Piculet (
Picumnus spilogaster), Rufous Crab Hawk (
Buteogallus aequinoctialis), and Bicolored Conebill (
Conirostrum bicolor). The range-restricted Blood-colored Woodpecker (
Dryobates sanguineus), which occurs only in the Young Coastal Plain of Guyana and Suriname, is also common in the GY-009 IBA.
Habitats within the IBA are varied. Along the immediate coast, vast intertidal mudflats extend up to several kilometers from the shoreline. The shoreline itself is in constant flux as sediments from both the Amazon Basin (transported by the offshore Guiana Current) and local rivers (Berbice and Corantyne) are deposited and reworked by local processes. As a result, the coastline features a mix of hard sandy beaches, soft mudflats, mangrove forest, and human-modified habitats. Habitat at a given site can shift considerably in a relatively short time; accommodating these shifts is the primary rationale for establishing an IBA that covers the entire coastline of eastern Guyana rather than specific sites within that area.
Just inland from the coast lies a densely populated strip of urban development along Guyana's coastal highway. Villages and other settlements are interspersed with small-scale farm and garden plots, abandoned farms, and rangeland. Inland of the highway corridor, the landscape is dominated by rice farms, with little to no natural forest remaining.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Current threats to biodiversity include offshore oil drilling and transport; hunting of shorebirds for subsistence and sale in local markets; pesticide use in rice farms; persecution of birds by shrimp and fish farmers; destruction and degradation of mangroves, and prevalence of trash in the environment, including plastic and discarded fishing gear. The coast of Guyana is undergoing rapid development as oil revenues have accelerated plans for infrastructure improvement and expansion.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
An educational campaign is underway to attempt to reduce shorebird hunting in Guyana. Community-level campaigns to establish mangrove forests to buffer against flooding have resulted in a general increase of mangrove cover along the immediate coast. To date there is no national strategy in place to respond to an oil spill; this remains an existential threat.
There are no protected areas within the IBA.
The lands encompassed by the IBA are a mix of national (state), municipal, and private lands.
Site access / Land-owner requests
Many coastal sites are difficult to access due to the extent, depth, and softness of the underlying substrate (mud). Virtually all of the immediate coastline is open to the public. Farmland is quite accessible via networks of dikes and roads.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Guyana East Coast (Guyana). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/guyana-east-coast-iba-guyana on 23/12/2024.
