Coppename Monding Nature Reserve

The Coppename Monding reserve covers the mudflats, mangrove and brackish water at the mouth of the Coppename on Suriname's north coast, a Ramsar wetland that carries enormous numbers of migrating shorebirds along the Atlantic flyway, along with scarlet ibis, herons and flamingos. It is separate from the World Heritage reserve upstream, which protects the river's headwaters rather than its estuary. It was one of the first areas in Suriname given Ramsar protection, in 1985.

Background

Interest in the estuary goes back to the Police Penal Code of 1915, which listed it as an area of special interest. It was made a game sanctuary in 1953, and the Nature Preservation Law gave it protected status in 1961. The reserve covers 12,000 hectares and takes in about 50 kilometres of coast. On 22 July 1985 it was added to the Ramsar list of internationally important wetlands. Breeding birds rely on these wetlands, which draw herons, scarlet ibises and semipalmated sandpipers, and a 2004 survey counted almost 400,000 birds.

Source: Wikipedia, "Coppename Monding Nature Reserve"

What you'll find

• The mudflats - the feeding ground for migrating shorebirds at low tide.
• The scarlet ibis - the birds moving between roost and flat morning and evening.
• The mangrove - the stands lining the estuary channels.
• The Ramsar status - protection for one of the region's key shorebird sites.

When to go

August to November is the southbound shorebird passage and the peak. Tide governs what is exposed on any day. The long rains from April make access harder.

What to expect

Access is by boat and must be arranged; there is no road to the reserve. Mosquitoes and sandflies are severe. Birds are distant on the flats and binoculars matter.

Nearby

Bigi Pan is west, and Paramaribo is east.

Key facts