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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2021 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus	NT	resident (2017)	129 individuals	B1a
Wood Stork Mycteria americana	LC	passage (2011)	900 individuals	A4, B3a
White Ibis Eudocimus albus	LC	breeding (2011)	6,000 individuals	A4, B3a
Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens	NT	resident (2015)	829 individuals	A4, B1a, B3a
Snowy Egret Egretta thula	LC	breeding (2011)	10,500 individuals	A4, B3a
Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens	LC	resident (2017)	8,000 individuals	A4, B3a
Neotropical Cormorant Nannopterum brasilianum	LC	breeding (2011)	13,000 individuals	B3a
Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus	LC	winter (2010–2015)	9,120 individuals	A4, B3a
Snowy Plover Charadrius nivosus	NT	winter (2010)	170 individuals	B1a
Red Knot Calidris canutus	NT	winter (2018)	532 individuals	B1a, B3a
Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla	NT	winter (2013)	4,010 individuals	B1a
Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri	LC	winter (2018)	54,188 individuals	A4, B3a
Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus	VU	winter (2018)	4,300 individuals	A4, B3a
Willet Tringa semipalmata	LC	winter (2018)	8,519 individuals	A4, B3a
Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca	NT	winter (2018)	4,930 individuals	A4, B3a
Black Skimmer Rynchops niger	LC	winter (2018)	740 individuals	B3a
Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica	LC	winter (2011)	80 individuals	B3a
Black Tern Chlidonias niger	LC	passage (2011)	20,000 individuals	A4, B3a
Elegant Tern Thalasseus elegans	NT	winter (2018)	30 individuals	B1a
Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus	LC	winter (2013)	200 individuals	B3a
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura	LC	passage (2011)	104,850 individuals	A4, B3a
Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus	LC	passage (2011)	65,330 individuals	A4, B3a
Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni	LC	passage (2011)	75,920 individuals	A4, B3a
Lilac-crowned Amazon Amazona finschi	EN	resident (2018)	23 individuals	A1
Orange-fronted Parakeet Eupsittula canicularis	VU	resident (2019)	373 individuals	A1
Cinnamon-tailed Sparrow Peucaea sumichrasti	NT	resident (2020)	221 individuals	B1a
Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna	NT	resident (2020)	152 individuals	B1a
Rose-bellied Bunting Passerina rositae	NT	resident (2016)	94 individuals	B1a
A4iv Species group - soaring birds/cranes	n/a	winter (2011)	247,000 individuals	B3c
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter (2018)	73,209 individuals	B3b

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2021. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Energy production and mining	happen­ing now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	rapid deteri­oration (>30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happen­ing now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	rapid deteri­oration (>30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	likely in short term (within 4 years)	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	rapid deteri­oration (>30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Transportation and service corridors	happen­ing now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow deteri­oration (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Little/none of site covered (<10%)	No manage­ment planning has taken place	Very little or no conservation action taking place	very low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1995	La Sepultura	Reserva de la Biosfera (Ia)	2
2002	Playa de Puerto Arista	Santuario (II)	<1
2006	La Sepultura	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve (UA)	2
2007	El Bejucal y la Chichihua	Área Destinada Voluntariamente a la Conservación (VI)	<1
2010	El Cordón del Retén	Área Destinada Voluntariamente a la Conservación (VI)	<1
2010	(Parcela) 70 Z-1 P1-1 (Ejido Chivela)	Área Destinada Voluntariamente a la Conservación (VI)	<1
2012	Área de Uso Común del Núcleo Agrario El Barrio de La Soledad	Área Destinada Voluntariamente a la Conservación (VI)	<1
2012	Parcela N° 349 Z-l P1/1	Área Destinada Voluntariamente a la Conservación (VI)	<1
2012	San José de Los Amates	Área Destinada Voluntariamente a la Conservación (VI)	<1
2014	Parcela No 221 Z-1 P1/1	Área Destinada Voluntariamente a la Conservación (VI)	<1
2014	Parcela No 262 Z-1 P1/1	Área Destinada Voluntariamente a la Conservación (VI)	<1
2014	Parcela No 22 Z-1 P1/1	Área Destinada Voluntariamente a la Conservación (VI)	<1
2014	Parcela No 93 Z-1 P1/1	Área Destinada Voluntariamente a la Conservación (VI)	<1
2015	Los Naranjos	Área Destinada Voluntariamente a la Conservación (VI)	<1
2015	El Diamante	Área Destinada Voluntariamente a la Conservación (VI)	<1
2016	La Herradura	Área Destinada Voluntariamente a la Conservación (VI)	<1
2017	Zona de Uso Común 1 y 2	Área Destinada Voluntariamente a la Conservación (VI)	<1

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Forest	40	Gallery & riparian; Mangrove; Montane broadleaf evergreen; Palm forest; Pine; Pine-oak; Temperate deciduous; Tropical deciduous; Tropical lowland evergreen; Tropical semi-deciduous
Grassland	7	Second-growth & grazed
Savanna	5
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	major (>10)
Marine Intertidal	major (>10)

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	31
urban/industrial/transport	1

Zona Federa Marítimo Terrestre

Comunal/Ejidal

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Istmo de Tehuantepec - Mar Muerto (Mexico). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/istmo-de-tehuantepec--mar-muerto-iba-mexico on 26/01/2025.