The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2009 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting IBA criteria.
Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2009. The most recent assessment (2012) is shown below.
IBA conservation status |
Year of assessment |
State |
Pressure |
Response |
2012 |
not assessed |
not assessed |
high |
Whole site assessed? |
State assessed by |
Accuracy of information |
|
yes |
unset |
good |
|
Year |
Protected Area |
Designation (management category) |
% coverage of IBA |
1960 |
Kealia Pond
|
National Wildlife Refuge (V) |
100
|
Habitat |
% of IBA |
Habitat detail |
Wetlands (inland) |
93 |
Freshwater lakes & pools; Freshwater marshes & swamps |
Forest |
7 |
Tropical lowland evergreen |
Land use |
% of IBA |
nature conservation and research |
100 |
The land occupied by Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge is owned by Alexander and Baldwin, Inc., but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a perpetual conservation easement over 691 acres at Kealia Pond and is currently working with the landowner on the conveyance of a perpetual easement over 9-34 acres as a contiguous extension of the refuge on the Ma'alaea mudflats.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge (USA). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kealia-pond-national-wildlife-refuge-iba-usa on 08/01/2025.