Isla Escudo de Veraguas (Escudo de Veraguas Island IBA) (19262)
Panama, Central America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1e
Year of last assessment: 2018
National site name: Isla Escudo de Veraguas
Central coordinates: Latitude: 9.1000, Longitude: -81.5500
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 13
Area of KBA (km2): 4.03238
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Escudo de Veraguas is a small (400 ha) island located 17.6 km off the coast of the Valiente Peninsula, approximately 4 km long by 1.5 km wide. Access for much of the year is difficult due to sea conditions.
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: The Escudo Hummingbird (Wetmore 1968) is restricted to the island. Of the nine resident land birds, three are represented by endemic subspecies. Three-wattled Bellbird apparently occurs regularly on the island. These are most likely post-breeding dispersers from the highlands, but breeding is not out of the question. Uniform Crake is abundant on the island. Brown Boobies nest on islets off the western side, one of only three breeding sites on the Caribbean side of Panama (Wetmore 1959, Handley 1993). Non-bird biodiversity: There are three other species of endemic vertebrates: Escudo Fruit-eating Bat Artibeus incomitatus, Pygmy Sloth Bradypus pygmaeus, and the salamander Oedipina maritima. There is also an endemic supspecies of Armored Rat (Hoplomys). The frog Eleutherodactylus rugulosus also occurs.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The island is almost entirely covered with low evergreen lowland forest, with scattered trees rising to 20 m, but severely affected by wind. Extensive swampy areas are found in the center of the island, and there is a small stand of mangroves on the southeastern point. Small islets are found on the western and eastern sides. Podocarpus trees, more typical of high elevations in Central America, occur here near sea level. Extensive coral reefs occur. At one point about 5% of the island had been cleared for dwellings and plantain and coconut plantations (Wetmore 1959, Handley 1993), but much of this has now regenerated. A few Ngobe live on the island year round, but up to 200 may visit during the fishing season from August to October.
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | hunting | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 5 | |
| Forest | 95 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The resident Ngobe are occupied mainly with fishing and have cleared relatively little land for agriculture. However, the island is very attractive and there have been suggestions to develop it for tourism.
Additional information
References: Angehr, George R. 2003. Directorio de areas importantes para aves en Panama. Directory of important bird areas in Panama. Panama: Sociedad Audubon de Panama. Handley, Charles O., Jr. 1993. Conservación de la flora y fauna en las islas de Bocas del Toro. In: Heckadon-Moreno, Stanley (ed.), Agenda Ecológica y Social para Bocas del Toro pp 43-48. Instituto Smithsonian de Investigaciones Tropicales, Panamá Ciudad, Panamá. Wetmore, Alexander. 1959a. The birds of Isla Escudo de Veraguas, Panamá. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 139:1-27. Wetmore, Alexander. 1965. The Birds of the Republic of Panama. Part 1. Tinamidae (Tinamous) to Rhynchopidae (Skimmers). Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. Wetmore, Alexander. 1968. The Birds of the Republic of Panama. Part 2. Columbidae (Pigeons) to Picidae (Woodpeckers). Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.