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

Site description (2001 baseline)
Calauit is a small, low-lying island in the Calamian group, north of Palawan. It is a short distance from the much larger island of Busuanga (PH048). The natural vegetation there is lowland forest, with beach forest and mangroves along the coast. Much of the forest has now been replaced by plantations, secondary growth and open grassland.

Key biodiversity
Several of the threatened and restricted-range species of the Palawan Endemic Bird Area have been recorded on Calauit, including the threatened Grey Imperial-pigeon, Blue-headed Racquet-tail and Palawan Hornbill, and there are unconfirmed reports of Philippine Cockatoo.

Non-bird biodiversity: This IBA supports many mammals endemic to Palawan region, including the Calamian hog-deer Axis calamianensis, and Palawan stink badger Mydaus marchei. Other mammals in the area include binturong Arctictis binturong and bearded pig Sus barbatus. Calauit is remarkable for the populations of large African mammals that have been introduced there, including giraffes and zebras, which may pose threats to the native animals found in the area. Marine mammals recorded offshore from this IBA include bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus and minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata. Several Palawan endemic frogs have been recorded in this IBA, including the Everett’s tree frog Rhacophorus everetti and brown-striped tree frog Polypedates macrotis.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Calauit Island (Philippines). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/calauit-island-iba-philippines on 22/12/2024.