Río Antabamba-Chalhuanca (100246)
Peru, South America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B1, B2
Year of last assessment: 2023
National site name: Río Antabamba-Chalhuanca
Central coordinates: Latitude: -14.2000, Longitude: -73.1520
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 2000 to 5100
Area of KBA (km2): 3453.15922
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: The KBA Río Antabamba-Chalhuanca covers an area of 3453.159 km2 and it's located within Peru, in the department of Apurímac, province Antabamba and Aymaraes, district of Chalhuanca. The altitude range of the KBA is 2000 to 5100 masl and it is located in the mountainous zone to the west of the town of Chalhuanca and limited by the course of the Antabamba River where canoeing is practiced. The most important habitats in this KBA are riparian vegetation with dense shrub thickets and patches of Polylepis and Polylepis-Gynoxis forests, and cacti and bromeliads on the more arid and stony slopes. The most important economic activities in Chalhuanca and nearby towns are farming and mining. The climate in the area is cold and temperatures can fluctuate from 2°C to 16°C, with rainfall between December and March. Although the site is rarely visited by birdwatchers, several reports of its biota occur in nearby towns and along river courses. The most relevant ornithological research was conducted many decades ago by Louisiana State University in 1974 (LSU 1974).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: The KBA Río Antabamba-Chalhuanca is qualified as a Key Biodiversity Area of international importance as it meets the threshold of B1 and B2 criteria described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBA with five range-restricted species: Atlapetes forbesi, Nothoprocta taczanowskii, Asthenes ottonis, Poospizopsis caesar and Oreonympha nobilis.
Additional biodiversity: Corryocactus ayacuchoensis, Cinclodes aricomae, Leptasthenura xenothorax, Coeligena albicaudata, Aglaectis castelnaudii, Stenocercus apurimacus
Manageability of the site: The KBA Río Antabamba-Chalhuanca can potentially be administered by the regional government of Apurimac (https://www.gob.pe/regionapurimac) because it has the capacity to establish Regional Conservation Areas with the technical support from SERNANP. There is a proposal for the creation of a private conservation area in Pichirhua within the KBA
Supersedes another site: 14886 - Chalhuanca
Delineation rationale: The boundary of the KBA Río Antabamba-Chalhuanca follows the limits of the mountainous area to the west of the town of Chalhuanca and is bounded by the course of the Antabamba River. It includes the proposal of Private Conservation Area Pichirhua and extends to the Pacco Cocha lagoons.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: This KBA has a representative sample of meso-Andean relic forest, shrubland, high-Andean relic forest, and "bofedal".
Additional information
References: SINIA (National Environmental Information System). https://sinia.minam.gob.pe/mapas/mapa-nacional-ecosistemas-peru. Castro, A., Dávila, C., Laura, W., Cubas Saucedo, F., Ávalos, G., López, C., ... & Marín, D. (2021). Climas del Perú: mapa de clasificación climática nacional. In Climas del Perú: mapa de clasificación climática nacional (pp. 70-70). https://www.senamhi.gob.pe/?p=mapa-climatico-del-peru
Contributors: Letty Salinas, Alejandra Arana, Victor Sánchez, Laura Graham-Angeles and Camila Dávila.