Klein Curaçao, Curaçao (20915)
Curaçao (to Netherlands), Caribbean
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Klein Curaçao, Curaçao
Central coordinates: Latitude: 11.9885, Longitude: -68.6503
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 1
Area of KBA (km2): 11.31212
Protected area coverage (%): 21.90
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Klein Curaçao is a small, flat, 1.7 km2 offshore reef island about 10 km to the east of Curaçao. The island was originally well-vegetated but was extensively mined for phosphate in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and overgrazed by livestock since the 1800s. As a consequence the island has been devoid of all trees and bushes for more than 100 years.Historically it was an important seabird nesting location and West Indian monk seal beach. Today it remains an important Least Tern nesting location with the potential for becoming an increasingly important tern and seabird nesting location now that feral goats and cats have been eliminated.
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: 286 Least Terns nesting in 2002, reaching 1% regional poplation threshold. The shores are frequented by flocks of migratory shore birds among which plovers and sandpipers. Birds recently documented on the island are Bare-eyed Pigeon, Eared Dove, Tropical mockingbird, Flamingo, Osprey, Merlin, Blue-winged teal, Great Blue Heron, Great White Heron, Green Heron, Sora, Black-crowned Night heron, Yellow-crowned night heron, Blackpoll Warbler, unidentified other warblers, Common Snipe, Barn Swallow, Northern Waterthrush, Ovenbird, Yellow-billed Cuckoo. The only resident landbird is the invasive House Sparrow, present and breeding on the island since the late 1990s, and numbering 40-60 birds. Non-bird biodiversity: Three species of endangered sea turtle (Loggerhead, Caretta caretta (Debrot, pers. obs. October 2005, Green turtle, Chelonia mydas, and Hawksbill, Eretmochelys imbricate) currently nest on the island, which constitutes the most important sea turtle nesting beach of the Curacao jurisdiction Debrot et al. 2005.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Describe Vegetation types (including characteristic tree species) and cover. Up to the year 2000 the vegetation consisted of a few small herbs and grasses such as Sesuvium portulacastrum, Stemodia maritima, Euphorbia mesembrianthemifolia and Sporobolus pyramidatus (A. Debrot and A. Proosdij pers observ.), but since a highly successful reforestation project by Carmabi, the native flora has grown and landscape changes are taking place rapidly.
Land use: nature conservation and research | rangeland/pastureland | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 33 | |
| Shrubland | 33 | |
| Marine Neritic | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Feral cat predation was once serious threat but cats were eliminated by Carmabi. Feral goats were eliminated in 1996. An attempt to eliminate the invasive House Sparrow failed. Now the greatest threat is probably from disturbance from uncontrolled recreational access to island from scuba and snorkeling visitors and other day visitors (600+ visitors per week 2006).
Additional information
References: Debrot et al.(2005);Debrot (2000)