Pinche Mountain Range (19058)
Colombia, South America

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1a, B2

Year of last assessment: 2023

National site name: Serranía del Pinche

Central coordinates: Latitude: 2.3405, Longitude: -77.3339

System: terrestrial, freshwater

Elevation (m): 1138 to 3860

Area of KBA (km²): 191.24152

Protected area coverage (%): 99.85

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The KBA Serranía El Pinche, as its name suggests, is a mountain range that branches off from the Western Cordillera in the southwestern Colombian Pacific region. From an administrative standpoint, it encompasses the municipalities of Argelia (21,112.34 ha), Balboa (3,838.83 ha), Guapi (6,616.58 ha), and Timbiqui (1,189.63 ha) in the Cauca department, as well as the municipalities of El Charco (6,054.4 ha) and Leyva (796.34 ha) in the Nariño department. Due to its location, it represents the convergence of Pacific rainforests, Andean forests, and the dry Patía enclave. Natural land cover accounts for 63.5% of its area, with 16% in naturally recovering forests, 4.3% in fragmented forests with grasslands, and only 16.2% in anthropogenic land cover. It spans an altitudinal range from 1,138 meters above sea level to 3,860 meters above sea level, hosting sub-Andean forests, Andean forests, and páramos, which are scientifically underexplored and unique samples for the country. It serves as a river star, as rivers that flow directly into the Pacific Ocean (San Juan del Micay, Guapi, Timbiquí) and tributaries of the Patía River originate there.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: The main reason for the nomination of this KBA are the species Eriocnemis isabellae (Gorgeted Puffleg; triggered A1a, B1 and B2 criteria) and Eriocnemis mirabillis (Colorful Puffleg; triggered B2), two endemic and threatened hummingbirds from Cauca department.

Additional biodiversity: In the KBA Serranía El Pinche, there is one bird species and three plant species endemic to the mountain range: Eriocnemis isabellae Besleria santaclarensis Pamianthe ecollis Espeletia marnixiana The Gorgeted Puffleg (Eriocnemis isabellae) is categorized as Critically Endangered (CR) by the IUCN. Additionally, in this KBA, there are records of the following threatened and/or endemic species for the country: Eriocnemis mirabilis (EN, endemic) Penelope ortoni (EN) Spizaetus isidori (EN) Henicorhina negreti (VU, endemic) Chloropipo flavicapilla (VU) Diglossa gloriosissima (endemic) Chlorochrysa nitidissima (endemic) Odontophorus hyperythrus (endemic) Serranía El Pinche possesses strategic ecosystems such as isolated páramos from the Western Cordillera, where rivers originate and flow directly into the Pacific Ocean: San Juan del Micay, Guapí, and Timbiquí, as well as tributaries of the Patía River.

Manageability of the site: It is managed by rural and Afro-Colombian communities, which collaborate with governmental and non-governmental organizations. On the eastern flank of the Serranía El Pinche, management is carried out by rural communities represented by the Agroenvironmental Association Santa Clara Serranía El Pinche in coordination with the environmental authority of the Cauca department (Autonomous Regional Corporation of Cauca) and the Ecohabitats Foundation as a non-governmental organization. For the western flank, management is conducted through Community Councils (San Francisco, Renacer Negro, Río Napi, Alto Guapi, Western Cordillera of Nariño).

Other site values: The western flank of the KBA Serranía El Pinche includes portions of the territory of Afro-Colombian communities represented in the following Community Councils: San Francisco, Renacer Negro, Río Napi, Alto Guapi, Western Cordillera of Nariño.

Delineation rationale: The boundary of the KBA Serranía El Pinche was established as follows: for the western flank, the altitude of 2600 meters above sea level was determined as it represents the lower limit of preserved forests, and on the eastern flank, it was delineated following conservation areas defined by rural communities through village-level agreements signed in their Community Action Boards. This latter boundary, resulting from village-level consultation processes that have been conducted since 2008 by the Agroenvironmental Association Santa Clara Serranía El Pinche and the NGO Ecohabitats Foundation, covers the distribution of the trigger species of the KBA.

Habitats

Land use: The land use management in the KBA Serranía El Pinche is regulated by the specific rules of the Community Councils (western flank) and rural communities (eastern flank), which are documented in official records. Additionally, the territory corresponding to the Regional Protective Forest Reserve Serranía El Pinche is governed by Colombian regulations applicable to this conservation category.

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Shrubland		Shrubland – Subtropical/tropical high altitude
Forest		Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist montane
Wetlands(Inland)		Wetlands (inland) – Seasonal/intermittent/irregular rivers/streams/creeks

Threats

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Human intrusions & disturbance	War, civil unrest & military exercises
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming
Biological resource use	Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals	Intentional use (species being assessed is the target)	Ongoing
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting	Intentional use: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is the target) [harvest]	Ongoing

Additional information