Pelikan Rock, Sint Maarten (19916)
Sint Maarten (to Netherlands), Caribbean

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2009

National site name: Pelikan Rock, Sint Maarten

Central coordinates: Latitude: 18.0180, Longitude: -63.0182

System: marine, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 10

Area of KBA (km²): 3.28141

KBA classification: Regional

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Pelican Rock is a small rocky islet about 3 acres in size located approximately one mile southeast of St. Maarten.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.

Additional biodiversity: Audubon’s Shearwater Puffinus lherminieri is suspected of breeding at Pelican Rock in unknown numbers due to the presence of fledglings in March and May (Voous and Koelers 1967) although none were seen in June 2004 (EPIC, unpublished data). Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis breeds annually, with a maximum record of thirty-five nests (Voous 1983). One hundred breeding pairs of Laughing Gulls Larus atricilla were estimated in 2004. Royal Tern Sterna maxima observations included 47 nests with eggs and 90 individuals. Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus eggs were found and 15 nests estimated based on the number of adults calling (EPIC, unpublished data). Brown Noddy Anous stolidus reported as breeding in unknown numbers by Voous and Hoogerwerf in 1970s and 80s but none observed in 2004 by EPIC (unpublished data). Non-bird biodiversity: Not applicable.

Delineation rationale: Mark has the shapefiles.

Habitats

Summary of habitats in KBA: Vegetation is grass and a few low shrubs. The shoreline is rocky and difficult to access by sea.

Land use: nature conservation and research

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Marine Neritic	33
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	67

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Threats are limited within the IBA. There is no evidence of rodents or other predators. Threats to birds using the IBA are primarily outside, such as overfishing, oil spills, and plastics entanglement.

Additional information

References: COLLIER, N.C. and A.C. BROWN. Unpublished data;COLLIER, N.C., A.C. BROWN, and M. HESTER. 2002;COLLAZO, J. A., J. E. SALIVA, AND J. PIERCE. 2000;DANFORTH, S. T. 1930;HOOGERWERF, A. 1977;ROJER, A. 1997;VOOUS, K. H. 1955a;VOOUS, K. H. 1955b;VOOUS, K. H. 1983;VOOUS, K. H. AND H. J. KOELERS. 1967.