Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
Ciénaga de Lanier y Sur de la Isla de la Juventud IBA is in the
southern part of Isla de la Juventud, in the Canarreos
Archipelago, off the south coast of western Cuba. It includes
the Ciénaga de Lanier, which stretches from Ensenada de
Siguanea to the eastern Ensenada of San Juan, and divides
the north of the island from the karstic plains and coastal
zones to the south. The IBA supports a wide diversity of
wetland and coastal habitats. Cocodrilo and Cayo Piedras
with 300 and 20 inhabitants, respectively, are located within
the IBA, whereas the communities of Santa Fé, Mella, and
La Reforma are in surrounding areas.
This IBA is notable for its resident and migratory waterbirds,
including globally significant populations of the Vulnerable
West Indian Whistling-duck
Dendrocygna arborea and the
resident subspecies of Sandhill Crane
Grus canadensis nesiotes.
Terrestrial species include the Endangered Giant Kingbird
Tyrannus cubensis and a huge population of Near Threatened
White-crowned Pigeon
Patagioenas leucocephala .
Non-bird biodiversity: Reptiles include the Endangered Cuban crocodile Crocodylus
rhombifer, and the Vulnerable American crocodile C. acutus
and Cuban ground iguana Cyclura nubila. The hutia Mysateles
meridionalis is endemic to Isla de la Juventud, and the fish
Atractosteus tristoechus is restricted to Zapata and Lanier
swamps.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Ciénaga de Lanier y Sur de la Isla de la Juventud IBA was
declared a managed resource protected area in 1990 and in
1998 the southern part of the island and the eastern cays were
declared a special region of sustainable development. Its core
zones, Punta Francés National Park and Punta del Este
Ecological Reserve are awaiting approval as nationally
significant areas. The Los Indios Ecological Reserve is also
awaiting approval. The IBA was declared a Ramsar site in
2002. Local uses of the area include small-scale fishing (by a
cooperative in Cocodrilo) and small-scale forest exploitation
through selective logging. Limestone was quarried near Cayo
Piedras, and could be resumed in the future. This IBA is
threatened by a large-scale tourism development plan as well
as the impacts of introduced invasive species. Dams
constructed to the north of the marsh are restricting the
freshwater input to the wetland.
Authors: SUSANA AGUILAR, JUAN PEDRO SOY, ARYANNE CERRANO
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Cienaga de Lanier y Sur de la Isla de la Juventud (Cuba). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/cienaga-de-lanier-y-sur-de-la-isla-de-la-juventud-iba-cuba on 22/12/2024.
