Maug Islands (24521)
Northern Mariana Islands (to USA), Oceania
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Maug Islands
Central coordinates: Latitude: 20.0333, Longitude: 145.3667
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 227
Area of KBA (km2): 1.85532
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The proposed Maug Islands IBA is composed of three separate islets that are the remains of a collapsed volcanic cone. They are thickly vegetated mostly with grasses, low scrub, and coconut trees. The proposed IBA is uninhabited and protected by CNMI law as a Wildlife Conservation Area.
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: The entire three-island complex of Maug is proposed as an IBA because of its population of breeding seabirds. The three Maug Islands qualify under the A4i criteria for Brown Noddies and under the A4ii criteria for Red-tailed Tropicbirds. Micronesian Megapodes are common on Maug (Reichel and Glass, 1991). Maug is also home to Micronesian Starlings and Micronesian Honeyeaters. The islands are lushly vegetated (UOG, 1977) and are protected as part of the Northern Islands Conservation Areas (DFW, 2007d). Non-bird biodiversity: Additional species occurring on the island include Mariana Fruit Bat.
Delineation rationale: 2012-12-17 (BL Secretariat): original polygon clipped to hi-res coastline following identification in October 2012 of new marine IBA offshore this site; site area consequently changed from 200 ha to 186 ha.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Possible introduced species, including rats.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Unspecified species | Only in the future |