Banc d'Arguin National Park, a national reserve since 1976, was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989. Spanning 180 kilometers in length, its 12,000 km² surface area encompasses both maritime and terrestrial domains. Just 50 kilometers from the coast, the ocean is only 5 meters deep. PNBA is the ideal location in Mauritanie for observing wildlife and flora, especially birds. The exceptional richness of the Banc d'Arguin National Park ecosystem, combined with the absence of pollution and disturbance caused by inconsiderate tourism development, explains the extraordinary abundance of birds. Approximately two million birds stop at Banc d'Arguin between October and March. Two main species categories can be distinguished:

• Waders (Limicoles): After breeding in cold zones, particularly in northern Europe and Russia, these birds migrate south to reach African regions where they spend the winter. They represent 90% of the park's bird population. The species most frequently observed are sandpipers, plovers, curlews, and oystercatchers. Here, they have found the ideal environment for their annual migration.

• Breeding Birds (Nicheurs): More than 19 breeding species are represented in the park. These birds include cormorants, pelicans, herons, flamingos, gulls, terns, and other seabirds. In Banc d'Arguin National Park, they benefit from exceptional, mild climatic conditions that allow them to reproduce throughout the year.

The Endemic Birds

Only two species are endemic to Banc d'Arguin. In reality, migratory birds represent nearly all of the park's bird population. The Northern Shoveler, Platelea leucorodia balsaci and the Eastern Purple Heron, Ardea cinerea monicae are the only species that breed at Banc d'Arguin and reproduce nowhere else on Earth.

The presence of all these birds is, of course, because they find food here. They feed on crabs, shrimp, gastropods, and small fish. This also means that marine fauna is very abundant in the Park.