Atitlán (20372)
Guatemala, Central America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1d, A1e, B1, B2
Year of last assessment: 2025
National site name: Atitlán
Central coordinates: Latitude: 14.7100, Longitude: -91.2400
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Elevation (m): 500 to 3500
Area of KBA (km2): 2768.26512
Protected area coverage (%): 48.58
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Atitlan is located in the Guatemalan volcanic belt and includes Lake Atitlan, volcanoes San Pedro, Toliman, and Atitlan, as well as Cerro Tecpan and the conifer forests around Totonicapan. This IBA ranges in elevation from 500 to 3500 m. About 150 years ago began the establishment of coffee plantations, which caused an extensive loss of habitat for species like Azure-rumped Tanager and Highland Guan, which are now considered threatened. However, today several of the enterprises are strongly involved in conservation of remaining forests and also in reforestation. Current threats to bird populations of conservation concern include forest fires, illegal hunting and logging, an advancing agricultural border, and natural disasters (major landslides) caused by deforestations (Villalobos & López 2002, ParksWatch 2002, Castellanos et al. 2002, Ríos 2003, CEPAL 2005, Girón 2006).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: The site qualifies as a KBA due to the presence of thirteen bird species that trigger criteria A1a, A1d, B1, and B2. Two species, an amphibian (Oedipina tzutujilorum) and a plant (Erythrina atitlanensis), trigger criterion A1e. In addition, 38 bird species are considered legacy species.
Manageability of the site: This site was identified as an IBA/KBA in 2007 by BirdLife Partners. A site manageability rationale is not available.
Delineation rationale: This site was identified as an IBA/KBA in 2007 by BirdLife Partners. A delineation rationale is not available.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 9 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 43 | |
| Forest | 40 | |
| Rocky Areas(e.g., inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | 1 | |
| Grassland | 3 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 5 |
Additional information
Contributors: Birdlife International, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)