Estuario de Virrilá (24589)
Peru, South America

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: B2, D1a

Year of last assessment: 2023

National site name: Estuario de Virrilá

Central coordinates: Latitude: -5.8770, Longitude: -80.6660

System: terrestrial, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 1 to 60

Area of KBA (km²): 1438.96774

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The KBA Estuario de Virrilá covers an area of 1438.965 sq km and it's located within Perú, in the department of Piura, province Sechura, districts of Sechura and Cristo Nos Valga. The altitude range of the KBA is 0 to 60 masl and it is located between Illescas Hill and the San Pedro de Vice Mangroves, southwest of the city of Sechura. It comprises the Virrilá Estuary Environmental Conservation Area (ACA), a local initiative with legal recognition since 2015, led by the municipality of Sechura and has a Management Committee in which the San Martín de Sechura Campesino Community, private companies and civil society representatives participate. It is located at the mouth of the Piura River, which looks moderately dry for several years, depending on the site of the tidal waters of Sechura Bay. It is always shown as an area of exceptional biological richness that has the influence of the Humboldt current or Peruvian current with its cold waters and the North Equatorial current or North Equatorial current with its warm waters. The estuary has extensive sand and mud beaches, shallow waters, salt flats with halophilic vegetation, surrounded by coastal desert and part of the northern dry forest where the algarrobo (Prosopis pallida) is also found. The climate is characterized by average annual temperatures that fluctuate from 22° C in areas near the coast to 24° C towards the east. Precipitation is somewhat irregular, varying the annual average between 31 and 62 mm, giving it a super-arid physiognomy and allowing the presence of ephemeral vegetation. It was designated as an Important Shorebird Sites by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network in November 2017.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: The KBA Estuario de Virrilá qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for B2 and D1 criteria described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBA. The KBA Estuario de Virrilá harbors the demographic aggregation of Phoenicopterus chilensis and the range restricted bird species Piezorina cinerea and Sicalis taczanowskii.

Additional biodiversity: Chelonia mydas, Sternula lorata, Poilkilocarbo gaimardi, Leucocarbo bougaincilliorusm, Pelecanus thagus, Phoenicopterus chilensis, Thalasseus elegans, Sicalis taczanowski, Leucophaeus pipixcan, Geositta peruviana, Podiceps major, Fulica ardesiaca, Larus cirrocephalus, Larus modestus, Larus belcheri, Butorides striata, Ardea cocoi, Anas bahamensis, Haematopus ater, Pluvialis squatarola, Charadrius semipalmatus, Limnodromus griseus, Limosa fedoa, Calidris alba, Calidris mauri, Leucophaeus atricilla, Leucophaeus pipican, Gelochelidon nilotica, Sterno hirundo, Thalasseus sandvicensis, Thalasseus maximus, Calidris bairdii, Hirundo rustica, Charadrius nivosus occidentalis, Numenius phaeopus, Calidris alba, Myiarchus semirufus

Manageability of the site: The KBA Virrilá Estuary has been recognized as a RAMSAR site. This ecosystem was recognized as an Environmental Conservation Area (ACA) by the Provincial Municipality of Sechura in 2015. Therefore, it could be managed by the Provincial Municipality of Sechura (https://www.gob.pe/munisechura%20) with the technical support of the National Service of Natural Protected Areas by the State (SERNANP).

Other site values: San Martin de Sechura Peasant Community.

Delineation rationale: The boundary of the KBA Estuario de Virrilá was delimited taking into account the area belonging to the La Niña coastal wetland that harbors bird hunting species. To the south it limits with the road to Bayóvar by the fourth curve of the Panamerican Highway North, to the northwest it follows the maritime margin to the limit of the Panamerican Highway North 1N.

Habitats

Summary of habitats in KBA: Wetland (inland) 70-80% Desert 10-20%

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The significant potential threat to the Virrilá Estuary is related to the presence of several non-metallic mineral extraction concessions that have also been established near the estuary. Fortunately, the concessionaire company with the most interaction with the estuary (Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.) has excluded the area from its scope of operation, expressed its support for the estuary's conservation, and is part of the ACA Management Committee.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Unspecified species

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 -More, A.; P. Villegas & M. Alzamora, 2014. Piura, Priority areas for biodiversity conservation. First edition. Naturaleza & Cultura Internacional - PROFONANPE, 163 pag. -https://americadosul.iclei.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/78/2020/10/virrila.pdf -ONERN. 1976. Mapa ecológico del Perú: Guía explicativa. Oficina Nacional de Evaluación de Recursos Naturales. Lima, Perú. 146 pp. -https://whsrn.org/es/whsrn_sites/estuario-de-virrila/