Munchique Natural National Park and southern extension (14459)
Colombia, South America

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1e, B1, B2

Year of last assessment: 2023

National site name: Parque Nacional Natural Munchique y extension sur

Central coordinates: Latitude: 2.6767, Longitude: -76.9964

System: terrestrial, freshwater

Elevation (m): 500 to 3020

Area of KBA (km²): 473.51238

Protected area coverage (%): 99.18

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The park is part of the Biogeographic Chocó, has one of the highest rates of diversity of species of endemic flora, in outstanding number orchids, bromeliads and ericaceae. It has a rugged relief, with a great hydric wealth, evident in more than 40 waterfalls, 30 streams and rivers. The main habitat is montane cloud and Andean forests; climatic and topographic extremes are more pronounced above 2,250 m in the western mountain range, such as the Munchique, Santana and Charguayaco hills. The terrain is so steep that natural landslides have marked the landscape in such a way that there is a mosaic of habitats with varying degrees of vegetation succession, ranging from exposed rocks to small steep patches of humid montane forest with a high density of epiphyte vegetation. The predominant habitat structure is characterized by a low canopy (less than 5 m), high density of shrubs and increased biomass of bryophytes (Castaño-Uribe and Cano 1998, Salaman et al. 2003)

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This KBA is key to the conservation of nine threatened and/or range-restricted species that triggered some KBA criterion. The three amphibian species Nymphargus caucanus, Hyloscirtus sarampiona and Rhaebo atelopoides triggered the A1e criteria; three birds species as Eriocnemis mirabilis triggered the A1a and B2 criteria, Aglaiocercus coelestis and Chlorospingus semifuscus only triggered B2 criteria; and three plant species Macleania pubiflora that triggered the A1b and B2, Cavendishia divaricata only B2 and Sphyrospermum munchiqueense triggered the B1.

Additional biodiversity: Of the fauna species reported for the Park, the most charismatic are: the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus, VU) and the Munchique's hummingbird (Eriocnemis mirabilis, EN), and the most representative: the rabbit deer (Pudu mephistophiles), the Tigrillo (Leopardus tigrinus) and the Night Monkey or Tutamono (Aotus lemurinus, VU) and the Spider Monkey (Ateles fuscipes, EN). A total of 139 species of flora endemic to Colombia have been reported, of which 30 have exclusive distribution in the Munchique National Natural Park; Oreomunnea muchiquensis (Juglandaceae), the Cheflera, Schefflera munchiquensis (Araliaceae), and Sphyrospermum munchiqueense (Ericaceae), among others. In eBird this KBA presents the record of 323 bird species https://ebird.org/region/BIRDLIFE_14459?yr=all

Manageability of the site: The management of this KBA is carried out by the National Natural Parks of Colombia.

Delineation rationale: The limits of this KBA follow the limits of the Munchique National Natural Park

Habitats

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Forest	100

Threats

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing

Additional information