Pulau Nias (15804)
Indonesia, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2018
National site name: Pulau Nias
Central coordinates: Latitude: 1.0667, Longitude: 97.5667
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 885
Area of KBA (km2): 4035.41838
Protected area coverage (%): 0.25
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The area is descibed to have rapid settlement, and there is no natural forest except some degraded mangrove.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. Alliance for Zero Extinction (2018): site confirmed as an AZE site during the AZE project (2015-2018). Taxonomy, nomenclature and Red List category follow the IUCN 2016 Red List.
Additional biodiversity: Although this island has no endemic bird but it has many endemic sub-species, including Psittacula alexandri perionca (and Psittacula alexandri major in Banyak Island). From around 23 endemic bird sub-species Dymond (1994) failed to find 8 sub-species. Thiollay (1996b) confirmed record for Spizaetus nanus stresemanni. Other important species are Large Green-Pigeon Treron capellei (Dymond in 1994 recorded for the first time), Cinnamon-headed Green-Pigeon Treron fulvicolis, and endemic sub-species Gracula religiosa robusta, the favourite in bird market. Other species which might be present are Great-billed Heron Ardea sumatrana, Malaysian Plover Charadrius peronii, and Beach Thick-knee Burhinus giganteus. Probably the remaining forest can not support Nicobar Pigeon Caloenas nicobarica.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The habitat types of this area are secondary forest, and plantations and paddy fields (Anon 1995)
Land use: nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 50 | |
| Forest | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Agricultural intensification and infrastructure development.
Additional information
References: Anon. 1995. National Conservation Plan forIndonesia (3 A-H). Ministry of Forestry, Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation, Jakarta.Dymond, N. 1994. A survey of the birds of Nias Island, Sumatra. Kukila 7(1-2): 10-27.FAO, 1882. National Conservation Plan for Indonesia. Vol. II. Sumatra. Field Report of UNDP/FAO National Parks Development Project INS/78/061. Bogor.Thiollay, J.M. 1996b. The raptor community of Nias Island, Sumatra: survey and conservation. Kukila 8: 113-116.