Punta Patiño Nature Reserve and Wetlands (19340)
Panama, Central America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1d
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Reserva Natural y Humedales de Punta Patiño
Central coordinates: Latitude: 8.2833, Longitude: -78.2333
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 336
Area of KBA (km2): 268.25474
Protected area coverage (%): 48.06
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Punta Patiño Nature Reserve, located on the southern side of the Gulf of San Miguel, includes the area of Punta Patiño and Punta Alegre and the lower valley of the Mogue River. The eastern border is formed by the Mogocénega River and the western by the Quebrada Metezuana and the Cordillera de Bernal. On its southern border, the reserve is contiguous with the Bagre Biological Corridor (31,175 ha), which forms a connection with Darien National Park. There are small settlements on the Mogue and Mogocénega Rivers and at Punta Alegre, and a road from the town of La Palma reaches Mogocénega.
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: The globally near-threatened Plumbeous Hawk, Harpy Eagle, Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle and Great Curassow have been recorded. It is likely that several endemics of the Darién Lowlands as well as additional threatened species also occur, since surveys of the avifauna are incomplete. The wetlands are important for migratory shorebirds, with a highest single-day count of 10,117 in February 1998 (Morrison et al. 1998). It is likely that the site might reach threshold levels for somes species at times, especially Whimbrel, but specific data is lacking. Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals reported include Silky Anteater, Giant Anteater, Northern Naked-tailed Armadillo, Geoffroy's Tamarin, Western Night Monkey, Central American Spider Monkey, Capybara, Crab-eating Raccoon, Bush Dog, Ocelot, Margay, Jaguarundi, Puma, Jaguar and Baird's Tapir. American Crocodile also occurs (ANCON 1992).
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The reserve includes semideciduous lowland forest on the uplands and extensive mangrove forests (2,600 ha) at the mouths of the major estuaries, especially the Mogue. The Punta Patiño Wetlands includes tidal mudflats (1,900 ha) at the mouths of the Mogue, Mogocénega, Quebrada Honda and Patiño estuaries. Approximately one-third of the reserve was formerly devoted to cattle pasture but is now regenerating. The area is inhabited by Embera-Wounaan, afrocolonials (darienitas) and latinos and devoted to fishing and subsistence agriculture, with some cattle (ANCON 1992).
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 27 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 27 | |
| Forest | 19 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 27 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: In the past there have been some conflicts with local residents regarding use of natural resources in the reserve.
Additional information
References: ANCON. 1992. Evaluación Ecológica Rápida: Punta Patiño. ANCON, Panamá. Angehr, George R. 2003. Directorio de areas importantes para aves en Panama. Directory of important bird areas in Panama. Panama: Sociedad Audubon de Panama. Morrison, R. I. G., R. W. Butler, E. S. Delgado, and R. K. Ross. 1998. Atlas of Nearctic Shorebirds and Other Waterbirds on the Coast of Panama. Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa.