Curlew Sandpipers Calidris ferruginea in the delta of the Senegal River, West Africa

Curlew Sandpipers have been surveyed at the delta of the Senegal River since the late 1980s, when about 3,000 spent the nonbreeding season there. Subsequently, estimates have been smaller. Although various factors might explain this, the most likely reason is a deterioration of feeding conditions at the Saint-Louis lagunas. Until 1990, water levels were partly controlled by a sluice which became too damaged for efficient water control; this results in relatively low levels of hyper-saline water and unattractive conditions for small waders. This equipment is in need of repair.