Driggs Hill to Mars Bay (20582)
Bahamas, Caribbean
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B2
Year of last assessment: 2013
National site name: Driggs Hill to Mars Bay
Central coordinates: Latitude: 24.0638, Longitude: -77.5685
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 100.59984
Protected area coverage (%): 0.03
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This site is located on South Andros Island, and spans a distance of about 30 miles of road which runs along the east coast. Several known blue holes are found in this site including Rat Bat Lake and Twins located north of Congo Town airport. Nine Tasks Blue Hole, Evelyn Green Blue Hole and another near the seashore at the S-bend located south of The Bluff settlement make for added birding adventure. However, it is advisable to contact the Bahamas Tourist Office in South Andros for local guide assistance. It is very easy to get lost or injured in this rugged terrain, insect repellant and protective clothing are essential. Accomodations and rental cars are available, and the airport at Congo Town provide daily flights to Nassau.
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: On South Andros you may find most of the listed resident landbirds including the elusive Great Lizard Cuckoo, Bahama Yellowthroat, Bahama Oriole, White-crowned Pigeon, Doves, Bahama Mockingbird, Northern Mockingbird, Thick-billed Vireo and Bananaquit. Shorebirds, waterbirds and migrant warblers are also found in this site. This site also gained prominence for being the only known nesting site of Cave Swallows in the Bahamas. They are reported to nest between early April and late July in limestone cavities of the blue holes. This was evident in June 2007 when they were recorded in ponds eight and nine at Nine Tasks Blue Hole and at Twins Blue Hole. The ponds/blue holes have the potential for being the habitat for many species of waterbirds including grebes, ducks, coots, moorhens, herons and egrets. Flycatchers also feed busily over the water. Yellow-crowned Night Herons were nesting at all the above-mentioned blue holes visited in June 2007.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: A vast amount of undisturbed and inpenatrable shrubland coppice and unexplored wetlands exists in this site. Numerous creeks stretch from the east shore to the western interior which consists of a high percentage of wetland and very shallow shoreline, ideal for waterbirds and flamingoes. The human population is insignificant, relative to the land mass, thus, the landuse percentage of agriculture, fishing and tourism make the minimum impact.
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | hunting | not utilised | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 25 | |
| Shrubland | 50 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 25 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: As always there is the danger of development that will destroy habitat and cause disturbance of birds. This area is one of the premier White-crowned Pigeons hunting sites.
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. Bainton, Alieen M. and Anthony W. White. 2006. A Bibliography of Birds, Ornithology and Birding in The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos Islands. Media Enterprises Ltd. Nassau, Bahamas. 96pp. 2006 and 2007. Carolyn Wardle and Predensa Moore field trips to South Andros. Unpublished documents available at Bahamas National Trust.