Aquatic bird distributions in Mexico: designing conservation approaches quantitatively

The aquatic birds of Mexico include both a rich fauna of residents and a significant proportion of migratory species that breed in Canada and the United States, yet their distribution and richness patterns remain poorly known. We developed a detailed database of occurrences, and estimated distributions using niche modeling interpolations for 134 species associated with wetlands. Validations of the resulting maps indicated that the niche-modeling approach yields a useful picture of aquatic bird species distributions in the country. Richness patterns among aquatic birds differ from those for landbirds: species richness is concentrated in coastal areas, but endemism is focused in the Transvolcanic Belt and the Altiplano. Place prioritization exercises identified sets of areas that would maximize the protection of this diversity.