Santiago Hill (19268)
Panama, Central America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1e, B1, B2
Year of last assessment: 2023
National site name: Cerro Santiago
Central coordinates: Latitude: 8.5731, Longitude: -81.7179
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Area of KBA (km2): 623.80806
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This site includes the highest peaks in the center of the Tabasará range (Serranía de Tabasará), the eastern extension of the Talamanca massif. As defined, it consists of the area above 1,200 m around Cerro Santiago (2,121 m), Cerro Sagui (Cerro Ratón) to its northwest (2,520 m), and two peaks (2,292 and 1,945 m), unnamed on available maps, to its northeast. The area extends approximately 50 km along the continental divide above the towns of Las Lajas, Remedios and Tolé, and incorporates the upper watersheds of the Fonseca, San Félix and Tabasará Rivers on the Pacific slope, and the Manantí and Cricamola on the Caribbean. The area is almost exclusively populated by Ngöbe and some Buglé, on both the Pacific and Caribbean slope, and is the center of their Comarca (indigenous reserve). Although a road extends into the area near the Cerro Colorado copper mine above Hato Chamí, access to intact forest is difficult. The area is actively being deforested, even at higher elevations. There is an urgent need to protect the forests of the Tabasará, both to preserve its endemic wildlife and to maintain the watersheds of several important rivers. The proposed mine at Cerro Colorado has been the center of intense controversy between the national government and the Ngöbe, although because of current low copper prices project development has been halted.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site contains the entire known populations of Craugastor sagui, Diasporus igneus, Incilius majordomus, and Isthmohyla graceae, 24 species of bird meet threatened and/or restricted range criteria and four species of birds trigger legacy KBA criteria and are in need of reassessment.
Manageability of the site: Site was identified as an IBA/KBA in 2003 by BirdLife partners. A manageability rationale is not available.
Delineation rationale: Site was identified as an IBA/KBA in 2003 by BirdLife partners. A delineation rationale is not available.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 50 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 50 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Only in the future | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Ongoing | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Only in the future | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing | |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |