Kemp Cay to Pigeon Cay, Bahamas
Site Overview
KBA status: confirmed
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site was originally confirmed as a KBA under the legacy criteria for the Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus). Recent data from multi-year censuses across the Bahamas confirmed that this site predictably holds wintering aggregations of Piping Plovers, meeting the threshold for KBA Criterion D1a.
Text account
The KBA is located approximately 6 km south of Great Harbor Cay in the Berry Islands. The KBA extends from Kemp and Water Cay to the north, to Pigeon and Money Cay to the south. Ambergris Cay and Fanny Cay are the largest of the cays within this site. The KBA also includes the expansive sandy shoals and tidal flats associated with the cays, which provide vital foraging habitat for shorebirds during low tides. The cays are generally long a narrow. Ambergris is the longest at approximately 2.6 km in length and 0.3 km at the widest point. Pigeon Cay is approximately 1.1 km long and 0.3 km at the widest point. Fanny Cay is approximately 1.4 km in length and 0.4 km at the widest point. The other cays are considerably smaller. The cays are separated by inlets with small creeks that extend westward to the tidal flats, eventually ending on the flats. The flats are vast at low tide and cover approximately 1,500 ha. The beaches are generally narrow and made up of sand and limestone. The beaches, especially at inlets, and the small sand bars south of Ambergris Cay provide high tide roosting and resting areas for birds. Extensive shallow water in the area excludes most recreational boaters, but beaches are visited occasionally by boaters and anglers in small, shallow-draft boats.
NULL
Habitats
IUCN Habitat | Coverage level | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
---|---|---|---|
3. Shrubland | - | - | - |
1. Forest | - | - | - |
Threats
Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | NULL | NULL | NULL | NULL | NULL |