• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (2007 baseline)
Muizenberg is an intermittent shallow lake and wetlands, in the northern suburbs of Willemstad, formed from the damming of a stream that drains the surrounding low hills. The perimeter is bounded on all sides by rather heavily travelled roadways which on the west side directly abut the wetlands. On the northeast side the area is flanked by agricultural lands with small farms. Unfortunately the area is used as a dumping ground for garbage. Kaya Fortuna is an unnamed small pond, at the crossing of the Seru Fortuna Road with the Cabo Verde Road, a few hundred meters west of Muizenberg. The IBA covers an area of c. 1.5 km2 from about 5 to 10 m asl.

Key biodiversity
Caribbean Coot Fulica caribaeacaribbaea is a year-round resident on both lakes, with congregations of up to 800 birds observed during the wet season. Breeding has been confirmed at both lakes; 100s of birds are observed regularly at a time (115 counted in March 2000; Wells pers. Obs.). Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber is occasionally seen, feeding in flocks of up to 170 birds, but does not breed in the area (40+ counted in March 2000). The Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus is also confirmed as a breeding resident. Area has hosted breeding Pied-billed Grebe, White-cheeked Pintail. Other species documented here include Neotropical Cormorant, Blue-winged Teal, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Crested Bobwhite, Black-necked Stilt (40+ in March 2000), Greater Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Wilson’s Snipe, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Frigate Bird, Common Tern (Debrot pers obs. June 2005).

Non-bird biodiversity: The endemic freshwater fish Poecilia vandepolli is present in the ponds (Vonk et al. 2007).

Acknowledgements
Vincent Nijman and Tineke Prins, Zoological Museum Amsterdam and Jeffrey Wells, International Boreal Conservation Campaign

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Muizenberg, Curaçao (Curaçao (to Netherlands)). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/muizenberg-curaçao-iba-curaçao-(to-netherlands) on 05/12/2024.