Current view: Text account
Site description (2007 baseline):
Site location and context
Klein Curaçao is a small, flat, 1.7 km2 offshore reef island about 10 km to the east of Curaçao. The island was originally well-vegetated but was extensively mined for phosphate in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and overgrazed by livestock since the 1800s. As a consequence the island has been devoid of all trees and bushes for more than 100 years.Historically it was an important seabird nesting location and West Indian monk seal beach. Today it remains an important Least Tern nesting location with the potential for becoming an increasingly important tern and seabird nesting location now that feral goats and cats have been eliminated.
286 Least Terns nesting in 2002, reaching 1% regional poplation threshold. The shores are frequented by flocks of migratory shore birds among which plovers and sandpipers. Birds recently documented on the island are Bare-eyed Pigeon, Eared Dove, Tropical mockingbird, Flamingo, Osprey, Merlin, Blue-winged teal, Great Blue Heron, Great White Heron, Green Heron, Sora, Black-crowned Night heron, Yellow-crowned night heron, Blackpoll Warbler, unidentified other warblers, Common Snipe, Barn Swallow, Northern Waterthrush, Ovenbird, Yellow-billed Cuckoo. The only resident landbird is the invasive House Sparrow, present and breeding on the island since the late 1990s, and numbering 40-60 birds.
Non-bird biodiversity: Three species of endangered sea turtle (Loggerhead, Caretta caretta (Debrot, pers. obs. October 2005, Green turtle, Chelonia mydas, and Hawksbill, Eretmochelys imbricate) currently nest on the island, which constitutes the most important sea turtle nesting beach of the Curacao jurisdiction Debrot et al. 2005.
Describe Vegetation types (including characteristic tree species) and cover. Up to the year 2000 the vegetation consisted of a few small herbs and grasses such as
Sesuvium portulacastrum, Stemodia maritima, Euphorbia mesembrianthemifolia and Sporobolus pyramidatus (A. Debrot and A. Proosdij pers observ.), but since a highly successful reforestation project by Carmabi, the native flora has grown and landscape changes are taking place rapidly.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Feral cat predation was once serious threat but cats were eliminated by Carmabi. Feral goats were eliminated in 1996. An attempt to eliminate the invasive House Sparrow failed. Now the greatest threat is probably from disturbance from uncontrolled recreational access to island from scuba and snorkeling visitors and other day visitors (600+ visitors per week 2006).
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
In 1992 Carmabi requested the island government to designate Klein Curaçao as conservation area based on its luxuriant reefs, but this request was not granted. In 1996 goats were eradicated from the island by the Curaçao Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and Fishery Service. Since 2000 Carmabi Foundation has been reforesting the island with native plant species and with great success. Drought and salt resistant trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses have been introduced and are now spreading naturally over the island. Some of the most successful species are the trees
Conocarpus erectus and
Thespesia populnea, the bushes
Suriana maritima and
Mallotonia gnaphalodes and the herbs
Batis maritime and
Cyperus planifolius. Cats were eradicated by Carmabi in 2004. An attempt by Carmabi to eradicate the invasive House Sparrow in 2005 failed. Based on the vegetation recovery attained, the first native land bird, the Bananaquit, was reintroduced from Curaçao in 2005 and has since been breeding. With the increase of vegetation migratory and wandering birds that pass by the island appear to be lingering longer.
The island is legally designated as “open land” by Curaçao island ordinance and has no protected status. However, feral goats and cats have been eliminated which opens up the way for ecological recovery. A protected status for the island has been requested by Carmabi.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Klein Curaçao, Curaçao (Curaçao (to Netherlands)). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/klein-curaçao-curaçao-iba-curaçao-(to-netherlands) on 23/11/2024.
