Chafarinas Islands (1878)
Spain, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2011
National site name: Islas Chafarinas
Central coordinates: Latitude: 35.1833, Longitude: -2.4333
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 137
Area of KBA (km2): 274.43545
Protected area coverage (%): 1.85
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Three small islands close to the north-east coast of Morocco, dominated by scrub. The central island is occupied by a small army detachment, the other two are uninhabited.
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.
Additional biodiversity: This is an important site for breeding seabirds, including the world's second largest Larus audouinii colony.
Delineation rationale: 2015-04-23 (BL Secretariat): site area adjusted from 50 ha (IBA2000) to 27110 ha (Arcos et al. 2009).
Habitats
Land use: military (30%) | nature conservation and research (100%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 90 | |
| Shrubland | 5 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Larus cachinnans predate the eggs and chicks of L. audouinii (`Other' threats, above). Conservation research is carried out by institutes and universities.