National Natural Park Sanquianga (19088)
Colombia, South America

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: D1a

Year of last assessment: 2023

National site name: Parque Nacional Natural Sanquianga

Central coordinates: Latitude: 2.5542, Longitude: -78.3061

System: terrestrial, marine, freshwater

Elevation (m): 0 to 20

Area of KBA (km²): 865.16047

Protected area coverage (%): 98.66

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The National Natural Park is located in the northwestern coastal part of the department of Nariño. It limits to the north with the Pacific Ocean, to the south with the municipalities of La Tola, El Charco and Olaya Herrera, it is in the jurisdiction of four municipalities, the three previous ones and that of Mosquera (UAESPNN 1998a). In addition to the Park area, the KBA includes a sector located in the buffer zone, known as the lower La Cunita-Quiñónez (02°39'57”N, 78°03'19”W), located 7 km to the east of the population of Bazán, which is one of the limits of the Park. This area is the one with the highest concentration of shorebirds and seabirds in the entire Colombian Pacific (Naranjo et al 2006). The Park is constituted almost entirely by mangrove ecosystems, in an estuarine delta complex, made up of the Sanquianga, Patía, La Tola, Aguacatal and Tapaje rivers. It includes habitats such as sandy and muddy beaches, mangroves, guandales, and terra firme forests (UAESPNN 1998a). In its innermost part there are guandal forests, while on the coastal margin sandy beaches and intertidal lowlands predominate. The Calidris Association has carried out research in this KBA since 1992 and in these 30 years there has been evidence of a decline in the populations of nesting species such as the Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) and the Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica); however, these reproductive colonies continue to be the largest of these two documented and tracked species in the Colombian Pacific.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This KBA is key for the congregation of various species of waterfowl, including Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) and Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) fulfilling the D1 criterion. This KBA is key for the conservation of Pelecanus occidentalis murphy as it is a congregation site for 1.25% and for Numenius phaeopus, which during its migration to the North congregates in more than 1% in this KBA.

Additional biodiversity: So far 133 bird species have been recorded for this KBA https://ebird.org/region/BIRDLIFE_19088?yr=all. It is a very important area as a nesting beach for the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea, EN). Shallow water shrimp and fish fishing is of high economic importance. Most of its 89,000 hectares are covered by well-preserved mangrove forests that constitute a nursery area of vital importance for marine species, there are also some redoubts of guandales in the interior part of the Park.

Manageability of the site: The management of this KBA and the conservation actions are carried out by the National Natural Parks of Colombia.

Delineation rationale: The delimitation of this KBA is given by the area and the limits of the Sanquianga National Natural Park.

Habitats

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Marine Deep Ocean Floor (Benthic and Demersal)	5	Mesopelagic (200–1,000 m)
Artificial - Aquatic	3	Water Storage Areas [over 8 ha]
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	20	Tidepools
Forest	5	Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist lowland
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	7	Mud Shoreline and Intertidal Mud Flats
Forest	60	Forest – Subtropical/tropical mangrove vegetation above high tide level

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: It is a park where more than 11,000 people live. There is no fishing regulation, and illegal logging of mangroves is reported, despite a total ban on this product.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting	Intentional use: large scale (species being assessed is the target) [harvest]	Ongoing
Geological events	Earthquakes/tsunamis		Only in the future
Human intrusions & disturbance	Work & other activities		Ongoing
Biological resource use	Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources	Intentional use: large scale (species being assessed is the target) [harvest]	Ongoing

Additional information