Data Zone
Country/territory: Antigua and Barbuda
IBA criteria met: A1, A4i (2007)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 185 hectares (1.85 km2)
Site description (2007 baseline)
Hanson’s Bay – Flashes IBA is on the west coast of Antigua, just west of St John’s. More specifically it lies south-east of Five Island Village, and south-west of Gray’s Farm/Green Bay. The area comprises a complex wetland system (with salinas and mangroves) which forms the seaward outfall of the Body Ponds – Big Creek watershed (Antigua’s largest). The dense stand of mangroves (the largest mangrove woodland on Antigua) borders Hanson’s Bay, and this grades to salina and wet pasture (and bordering shrubland) on the landward side.
Key biodiversity
This IBA is significant as a feeding area for the Vulnerable West Indian Whistling-duck Dendrocygna arborea, with up to 80 occurring. Globally significant counts of 400 Laughing Gulls Larus atricilla have been reported. Good numbers of shorebirds, herons and egrets occur along with up to 100 White-cheeked Pintail Anas bahamensis , and the three species of restricted-range hummingbirds.
Non-bird biodiversity: Nothing recorded.
Acknowledgements
Authors: Joseph Prosper, Victor Joseph, Andrea Otto, Shanee Prosper (Environmental Awareness Group)
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Hanson's Bay – Flashes (Antigua and Barbuda). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/hansons-bay-–-flashes-iba-antigua-and-barbuda on 22/12/2024.