Little Abaco (19826)
Bahamas, Caribbean
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Little Abaco
Central coordinates: Latitude: 26.8923, Longitude: -77.6987
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 3
Area of KBA (km2): 64.27796
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Little Abaco is an island that extends about 20 miles west of the northern point of Great Abaco Island and is conected by a causeway.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: The pine forest provide prime birdng for pine-woods specialities as: Pine, Oive-capped, Yellow-throated Warblers. Bahama Yellowthroats, Hairy Woodpeckers, Loggerhead Kingbirds and Cuban Pewees are also plentiful. It has been reported that during fall migration you can see a dizzing amount of warblers, one just have to be up to the challenge of identifing them.The shoreline around Crown Haven is especially good at fall migration because this is the first large island that the birds reach. Non-bird biodiversity: The pine forest on Little Abaco is thought to be the oldest pine forest in the Bahamas, and is considered by some to be the only remaining virgin stand of Caribbean Pine.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | not utilised | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 29 | |
| Shrubland | 14 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 29 | |
| Forest | 29 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Illegal degrading and bulldozing of the pine forest and other human activity. Potential development and lumbering as the human population increases. Government is building a trash transfer station in the pines at this time.
Additional information
References: White, A.W. 1998b. A Birder's Guide to the Bahama Islands (Including Turks and Caicos). American Birding Association. Colorado Springs, CO. 302pp.