Reserva Nacional Illescas (200684)
Peru, South America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1d, B1, B2
Year of last assessment: 2023
National site name: Reserva Nacional Illescas
Central coordinates: Latitude: -5.9739, Longitude: -81.0432
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 420
Area of KBA (km2): 575.85847
Protected area coverage (%): 63.52
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: The KBA Reserva Nacional Illescas covers an area of 575.859 sq km and it's located in Peru, department of Piura, province of Sechura and district of Sechura. The altitudinal range of this KBA is from sea level to 420 masl. The KBA Reserva Nacional Illescas includes the following climate types: 1) Arid with moisture deficiency in all seasons of the year, Temperate and 2) Arid with moisture deficiency in all seasons of the year, Warm. The temperature in this KBA ranges from 13°C to 31°C while annual precipitation varies between 0 to 50 mm, approximately. This KBA has Xeric shrubland "Matorral xérico", "Bosque estacionalmente seco de llanura", Seasonally dry riparian forest "Bosque estacionalmente seco ribereño (Algarrobal)", Coastal desert "Desierto costero" ecosystems and a little portion of sea.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: The KBA Reserva Nacional Illescas qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for A1, B1 and B2 criteria described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. This KBA harbors the Endangered and range restricted bird Sternula lorata, the Vulnerable penguin Spheniscus humboldti, the Vulnerable and range restricted Phytotoma raimondii and other four range restricted bird species (Sicalis taczanowskii, Piezorina cinerea, Tachycineta stolzmanni and Synallaxis stictothorax).
Additional biodiversity: Leopardus colocolo, Phyllodactilus clinatus, Vultur gryphus, Myiarchus semirufus, Geositta peruviana, Piezorina cinerea, Zonotrichia capensis illescasensis, Sterna hirundinacea, Phoebastria irrorata, Phoenicopterus chilensis, Amazilis amazilia, Thaumastura cora, Thaumasius baeri, Charadrius nivosus, Larosterna inca, Thalasseus elegans, Sula variegata, Sterna hirundinacea, Phalacrocorax bougainvillii, Phalacrocorax gaimard, Pelecanus thagus, Platalea ajaja, Pandion haliaetus, Geranoaetus polyosoma, Parabuteo unicinctus, Athene cunicularia, Caracara plancus, Falco sparverius, Falco peregrinus, Forpus coelestis, Myiarchus semirufus, Progne murphyi, Lycalopex sechurae, Phyllotis gerbillus, Bothrops roedingeri
Manageability of the site: This site could be managed by the National Service for Natural Areas Protected by the State - SERNANP and the Regional Government of Piura, jointly.
The National Coordination Group of KBAs has a conservation promotion and monitoring committee, which is composed of various governmental and civil society institutions that will work to promote conservation actions in the KBA.
Delineation rationale: The Reserva Nacional Illescas KBA follows the limits of the Illescas National Reserve, including an extension of the mountainous area to the east up to the Bayovar water camp and a little portion of sea to the north, in order to include suitable habitat for the Humboldt Penguin.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Xeric scrub 75% , Seasonally dry riparian forest (Algarrobal) 3%, Seasonally dry hill forest 2%, Seasonally dry riparian forest 1-10%, Coastal desert 1-10%, Marine Neritic 1-10%
Additional information
References: MINAM. (2018). Mapa Nacional de Ecosistemas del Perú. SINIA (Sistema Nacional de Información Ambiental) https://sinia.minam.gob.pe/mapas/mapa-nacional-ecosistemas-peru
Castro, A., Dávila, C., Laura, W., Cubas Saucedo, F., Ávalos, G., López, C., ... & Marín, D. (2021). Climas del Perú: mapa de clasificación climática nacional. In Climas del Perú: mapa de clasificación climática nacional (pp. 70-70). https://www.senamhi.gob.pe/?p=mapa-climatico-del-peru
Contributors: Frank Suárez, Elio Cortez, Christian Devenish, Victor Sánchez, Laura Graham-Angeles and Camila Dávila.