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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2007 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
West Indian Whistling-duck Dendrocygna arborea	NT	breeding (2006)	30 birds	A1
Masked Duck Nomonyx dominicus	LC	resident (2005)	50-249 birds	B4i
Puerto Rican Mango Anthracothorax aurulentus	LC	resident (2005)	unknown	A2
Green-throated Carib Eulampis holosericeus	LC	resident (2005)	unknown	A2
Puerto Rican Emerald Riccordia maugaeus	LC	resident (2005)	unknown	A2
Puerto Rican Lizard-cuckoo Coccyzus vieilloti	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A2
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii	LC	breeding (2004)	250 birds	A4i
Puerto Rican Owl Gymnasio nudipes	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A2
Puerto Rican Tody Todus mexicanus	LC	resident (2005)	unknown	A2
Puerto Rican Woodpecker Melanerpes portoricensis	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A2
Puerto Rican Flycatcher Myiarchus antillarum	LC	resident (2005)	unknown	A2
Puerto Rican Vireo Vireo latimeri	LC	resident (2005)	unknown	A2
Pearly-eyed Thrasher Margarops fuscatus	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A2
Puerto Rican Euphonia Euphonia sclateri	LC	resident (2005)	unknown	A2
Adelaide's Warbler Setophaga adelaidae	LC	resident (2005)	unknown	A2
Puerto Rican Spindalis Spindalis portoricensis	LC	resident (2005)	unknown	A2
Puerto Rican Bullfinch Melopyrrha portoricensis	VU	resident (2005)	unknown	A2

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2007. The most recent assessment (2014) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happe­ning now	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high
Biological resource use	happe­ning now	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high
Climate change and severe weather	happe­ning now	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high
Pollution	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	rapid decline (>30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Some of area covered (10–49%)	No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
-	Reserva Natural Hacienda La Esperanza	Private Conservation (V)	11
1979	Reserva Natural Hacienda La Esperanza	Natural Reserve (IV)	11
1987	Hacienda La Esperanza	Natural Reserve (V)	4
1992	Cueva del Indio	Natural Reserve (V)	1
1998	Reserva Natural Caño Tiburones De Arecibo	National Conservation Area (V)	22
1998	Caño Tiburones	Natural Reserve (V)	17
1998	Reserva Natural Cano Tiburones	Natural Reserve (-)	27

The Local Conservation Group(s) listed below are working to conserve this IBA.

Name	Year formed
Ciudadanos en Defensa del Ambiente, Fundación de Conservación	0

For more information on BirdLife's work with Local Conservation Groups, please visit Spotlight on local empowerment.

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	major (>10)
Marine Neritic	major (>10)
Forest	-	Mangrove
Introduced vegetation	-
Marine Intertidal	-
Shrubland	-

Land use	% of IBA
hunting	-
rangeland/pastureland	-
nature conservation and research	-
urban/industrial/transport	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Caño Tiburones (Puerto Rico (to USA)). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/caño-tiburones-iba-puerto-rico-(to-usa) on 23/12/2024.