Talara (14701)
Peru, South America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, B2
Year of last assessment: 2023
National site name: Talara
Central coordinates: Latitude: -4.6360, Longitude: -81.1440
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 7 to 350
Area of KBA (km2): 960.2078
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The KBA Talara covers an area of 960.2 sq km and it's located within the districts of Pariñas and La Brea, both from the province of Talara in the department of Piura, Perú. The altitude range of the KBA Talara is 7-350 masl. The weather is warm. The maximum temperature ranges from 24.2 °C to 30.8 °C, while the minimum temperature from 15.6 °C to 21.2 °C. The annual precipitation varies between 0 mm and 6.7 mm, the precipitation data was provided from the General Office of Statistics and Informatics (SENAMHI). Following the National Map of Ecoregions, the KBA Talara presents ca. 17.1 % of Bosque estacionalmente seco de colina y montaña (Seasonally dry hill and mountain forest ) and ca. 82.9 % of Desierto costero (Coastal desert). The dominant habitat is dry forest, with low trees and shrubs. Two research projects have been carried out in this area by ProAves Peru (2000) and Flanagan and More (2003).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: KBA Talara qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international importance that meets the thresholds for the A1b and B2 criteria outlined in the Global Standard for KBA Identification of KBA. This KBA is home to the Vulnerable Phytotoma raimondii and six range restricted birds such as Thaumasius baeri, Tachycineta stolzmanni, Piezorina cinerea, Sicalis taczanowskii, Synallaxis stictothorax and Ochthoeca salvini.
Manageability of the site: Although the area of this KBA is covered by oil concessions, its conservation is possible because the concessions have helped prevent logging in the area and also because of the reforestation carried out in the same concessions. Previous contacts have already been made with the oil companies, who in previous years supported a study on Phytotoma raimondii in the area. The designation of this area as a KBA will help the current concessions become more aware of the need to continue protecting the area from logging and take additional conservation measures. The KBA Talara can potentially be administered by the regional government of Piura (https://www.gob.pe/regionpiura) because it has the capacity to establish Regional Conservation Areas.
Delineation rationale: The Talara KBA has been extended to include Lobitos, Qda. Sicchez and Qda. Honda, as northern boundaries. The closest zone to the sea includes Qda. Pariñas, a major creek with records from near the sea to about 20 km inland. In addition, the Talara KBA closely borders the city of Talara due to records in the city limits of Villa Zapotal, Villa FAP, Tanques, Quebrada Yale and Quebrada Acholado. Phytotoma raimondii is found in all of these creeks because the surrounding area is where the vegetation is found. The trigger species are birds and they can use the wooded area around the houses.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Desert 90-100%
Forest 1-10%
Other 1-10%
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 5 | |
| Forest | 5 | |
| Desert | 85 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pollution | |||
| Energy production & mining | Oil & gas drilling | Ongoing |
Additional information
Contributors: Jeremy Flanagan, Monica Romo, Letty Salinas, Victor Sánchez, Laura Graham and Camila Dávila.