Cape Canaveral-Merritt Island


IBA Justification

The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2012 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:
Species Red List Season (year/s of estimate) Size IBA criteria
Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus LC non-breeding (1995) min 1,052 birds A4i
Florida Scrub-jay Aphelocoma coerulescens VU resident (2002) 300 pairs A1

IBA Protection

Year Protected Area Designation (management category) % coverage of IBA
- Pine Island Conservation Area (V) <1
1963 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (IV) 73
1975 Canaveral National Seashore (V) 24
1991 Slow Speed Manatee Protection Zones (V) 7
1991 Maximum 30 MPH Manatee Protection Zones (V) 4


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Cape Canaveral-Merritt Island (USA). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/cape-canaveral-merritt-island-iba-usa on 26/12/2024.