El Nido (9750)
Philippines, Asia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2006

National site name: El Nido

Central coordinates: Latitude: 11.1667, Longitude: 119.4000

System: freshwater, marine, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 648

Area of KBA (km²): 917.52904

Protected area coverage (%): 99.71

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The El Nido IBA is at the northern tip of Palawan. It is included within the El Nido Marine Reserve, which covers 95,000 ha, much of which is marine but also includes a substantial area of land. Some extensive areas of old growth forest are shown on the low hills there on recent forest cover maps. There are reported to be extensive areas of forest on limestone (ironwood) and beach forest there.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas) KBA identified in the CI/CEPF Conservation Outcomes booklet for the Philippines Hotspot (2006). Taxonomy, nomenclature and threat category follow the 2004 IUCN Red List. Restricted Range Species: Sus ahoenobarbus, Cyornis lemprieri, Hylopetes nigripes, Malacopteron palawanense, Maxomys panglima, Otus fuliginosus, Parus amabilis, Rana moellendorffi, Stachyris hypogrammica, Terpsiphone cyanescens, Chloropsis palawanensis, Collocalia palawanensis, Copsychus niger, Hypsipetes palawanensis, Hystrix pumila, Prionochilus platen.

Additional biodiversity: Several of the threatened and restricted-range species of the Palawan Endemic Bird Area have been recorded in the El Nido area in the past, including the threatened Palawan Peacock-pheasant and Palawan Hornbill. The extensive lowland forests there are likely to prove to support substantial populations of many of these birds, and probably also some of the other threatened and restricted-range species of Palawan. Non-bird biodiversity: The mammals and herpetofauna of this IBA are apparently unknown, but it is likely to support threatened endemic taxa. A diverse marine fauna occurs off the IBA, including threatened species such as green turtle Chelonia mydas, hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata, olive ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea, finless porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides and bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus.

Delineation rationale: 2018-05-02 (BL Secretariat): the site area has been increased from 35,284 ha (2001 IBA) to 92,042 ha (2006 KBA).

Habitats

Summary of habitats in KBA: The El Nido IBA is at the northern tip of Palawan. It is included within the El Nido Marine Reserve, which covers 95,000 ha, much of which is marine but also includes a substantial area of land. Some extensive areas of old growth forest are shown on the low hills there on recent forest cover maps. There are reported to be extensive areas of forest on limestone (ironwood) and beach forest there.

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Forest	100

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The areas logged on Palawan are relatively recent, and the majority of the forest within the closed canopy line is primary. Small-scale timber extraction and the operations of well-organised logging operations are hastening the depletion of the forest cover on the island. The Ten Knots Development Corporation plans to develop the El Nido Resort for ecotourism, including birdwatching.

Additional information