Sierra de la Macarena Natural National Park (14500)
Colombia, South America

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1c, A1d, B1

Year of last assessment: 2023

National site name: Parque Nacional Natural Sierra de la Macarena

Central coordinates: Latitude: 2.6550, Longitude: -73.6028

System: terrestrial, freshwater

Elevation (m): 400 to 2500

Area of KBA (km²): 6200.48031

Protected area coverage (%): 99.95

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The Sierra de la Macarena National Park is located in the northwestern part of the Colombian Amazon, in the department of Meta, municipalities of Macarena, Mesetas, Vista Hermosa, San Juan de Arama, Puerto Rico and Puerto Concordia. The Park is in contact to the west with the Tinigua National Natural Park, a fact that allows a special geographical continuity from the high peaks of the Eastern Cordillera (Parque Nacional Na Cordillera de los Picachos), to the lowlands of the Guaviare River, which makes it in the only mosaic of páramo-jungle ecosystems with an ecological vertical representation. The Sierra de la Macarena was discovered during the colonial period, being initially known as Selva del Airico. The peripheral part of the mountain range was inhabited until recently by indigenous communities such as the Churoyas, from the Guahibo linguistic family, now disappeared. Other groups also lived, such as the Pamiguas and the Guayaberos, who founded the ranch that gave rise to the current town of Refugio or Macarena. The Sierra de la Macarena belongs to the biogeographic province of the Guyanese shield (Hernández-Camacho et al. 1992a). The biota of the Park has characteristics both Amazonian and Orinoco as well as Guyanese and Andean. In the National Park there are biomes of humid forest of the warm, temperate and cold thermal floors. UAESPNN, of the Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Territorial Development (MAVDT), defined as objectives of the Park to conserve the areas little intervened for scientific research, recreation and environmental education, and to conserve the biodiversity of the Andean and Amazonian ecosystems. The working group of the Park is currently working on four main lines of action: a) control, protection and monitoring of the environmental offer, b) environmental education, c) coordination with local communities and d) ecotourism.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This KBA is important for the conservation of two threatened mammal species: Ateles belzebuth (White-bellied spider monkey) that triggered A1a and A1c criteria; and Plecturocebus ornatus (Ornate tití monkey) which triggered A1b, A1d and B1 criteria.

Additional biodiversity: In the Sierra de la Macarena, it is estimated that there are around 500 species of birds. The presence of the Patigris Tinamou (Crypturellus duidae) stands out, as well as some endemic subspecies such as Xiphorhynchus promerophirhynchus macarenae, Zonotrichia capensis roraimae, and Chlorospingus ophthalmicus macarenae.

Manageability of the site: Being a public protected area, the management of this KBA is exercised by National Natural Parks of Colombia

Delineation rationale: The limits of this KBA are given by the area and limits of the Sierra de la Macarena National Natural Park. Thus, this KBA limits to the north with the Honda channel, the Sanza river and the Guejar river; to the east with the Ariari river, to the west with the Guayabero and Duda rivers; and to the south with the Losada river and the Guayabero river until its conjunction with the Ariari river. To the west it limits with the Tinigua National Natural Park.

Habitats

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Forest	83.5	Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist lowland
Savanna	1.6	Savanna - Moist
Grassland	1
Wetlands(Inland)	12.9	Wetlands (inland) – Shrub dominated wetlands

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The main threats that the Park faces in its conservation process are the expansion of agricultural frontier, indiscriminate hunting, deforestation, and inaccurate delineation of the Park's territory.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing
Biological resource use	Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals	Intentional use (species being assessed is the target)	Ongoing
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting	Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest]	Ongoing
Human intrusions & disturbance	Work & other activities

Additional information

References: https://www.parquesnacionales.gov.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/plan-de-manejo-pnn-sierra-de-la-macarena.pdf