Congo and Cucunatí Estuaries (19345)
Panama, Central America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Estuarios del Congo y Cucunatí
Central coordinates: Latitude: 8.4667, Longitude: -78.3500
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 164.91426
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This site includes the estuaries of the Ríos Congo and Cucunatí on the northern side of the Golfo de San Miguel, and the Islas Josefa, Estero Pavón, and El Cedro adjacent to them.
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: Islas Josefa, Estero Pavón, and El Cedro are important nesting sites for White Ibis. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron also breed (Angehr and Kushlan MS). A single-day count of 2,303 was recorded in October 1991 (Morrison et al. 1998), and additional surveys are likely to show that higher numbers sometimes occur. Non-bird biodiversity: Neotropical River Otter and American Crocodile probably occur.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The estuaries of the Congo and Cucunatí Rivers contain tidal mudflats and mangroves. Islas Josefa, Estero Pavón, and El Cedro have small amounts of forest and scrub. Most of the area inland from the mangroves has been deforested for cattle and subsistence agriculture.
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 33 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 33 | |
| Forest | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The area inland from the mangroves has been mainly deforested for cattle and subsistence agriculture. Mangroves elsewhere in Panama are threatened by extraction for tannin, firewood, and wood for construction, but it is unknown how severe these problems may be in this area.
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. Angehr, George R. and James A. Kushlan. Seabird and colonial wadingbird nesting in the Gulf of Panama. (Submitted to Waterbirds) Morrison, R. I. G., R. W. Butler, E. S. Delgado, & R. K. Ross. 1998. Atlas of Nearctic Shorebirds and Other Waterbirds on the Coast of Panama. Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa.