Current view: Text account
Site description (2006 baseline):
Site location and context
The site, north of East End town and the most easterly of all IBA sites, is dry forest that is rapidly being cleared and fragmented. It is the only tract of dry forest remaining on the east side of the island. It is 100% privately owned and unprotected. In the 1980s, this site contained some of the largest trees on Grand Cayman and was a major parrot breeding site; there have been no recent population counts.
These
are the Near-threatened Cuban Parrot caymanensis and the Near-threatened and restricted-range Vitelline Warbler vitellina, each with more than 1% of the global population; and three restricted-range species: the Thick-billed Vireo alleni, Yucatan Vireo caymanensis and the Cuban Bullfinch taylori. All five biome species occur at the site.
Non-bird biodiversity: Plants endemic to Grand Cayman: Chionanthus caymanensis var. longipetala, Crossopetalum caymanense, Allophylus cominia var. caymanensis; Myrmecophilia thompsoniana thompsonia, Dendrophylax fawcettii and Tolumnia caymanense. Reptiles endemic to Grand Cayman: Anolis conspersus lewisi, Sphaerodactylus argivus lewisi, Tropidophis caymanensis caymanensis and Alsophis cantherigerus caymanensis; the endangered Cyclura (nubile)lewisi occurs in adjacent shrubland.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
This is the most fragmented forest site on Grand Cayman and, being close to East End town, has traditionally been a source of young parrots for the cage bird trade; this illegal practice continues, causing loss of nesting trees when the bole is cut open to reach into the deep-cavity nests. Predation by feral cats is a further threat.
Privately owned and unprotected.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Eastern Dry Forest (Cayman Islands (to UK)). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/eastern-dry-forest-iba-cayman-islands-(to-uk) on 23/12/2024.
