Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
Lachua-Ikbolay is located in the foothills and lowlands of the Atlantic slope of Guatemala. This IBA includes large fragments of humid evergreen broadleaf forest ranging in elevation from 150 to 1000 m.
More than 320 bird species have been recorded recently in Lachua-Ikbolay (Avendaño 2001, Eisermann 2001, 2005, Cóbar 2003). The site is important for biome-restricted species of the Gulf Caribbean Slope (18 species recorded). This site supports a small population of the globally threatened Keel-billed Motmot (
Electron carinatum) (Eisermann 2005). Cerulean Warbler (
Dendroica cerulea) has been recorded recently during spring migration in the Laguna Lachua National Park (Welton et al. 2007).
Humid evergreen broadleaf forest covers 44% of the IBA, 53% are used for agriculture, including secondary growth scrub, corn fiels and cardamom plantations, and cattle farming (MAGA 2006).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Slash-and-burn agriculture is common in the area, threatening the forest by fires and conversion to agricultural land.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Laguna Lachua National Park is managed by INAB (National Forest Institute). Several NGO’s help to establish a sustainable landuse by surrounding communities. Local tourism programs are developed by several communities. Bird populations in a lowland and foothill landscape in the southeast of the Laguna Lachua National Park are monitored since 2001 by PROEVAL RAXMU Bird Monitoring Program.
Currently, about 7% of the IBA are legally protected, including a national park and two private nature reserves (CONAP 2007). The Ecoregión Lachuá has been designated as important wetlands under the Ramsar convention in 2006.
The land is owned by the state (Laguna Lachua National Park), privately and communal owned.
PROEVAL RAXMU Bird Monitoring Program provided unpublished ornithological data. Input of unpublished data and suggestions for the delimitation of the IBA was provided during a workshop in Cobán, in August 2006, by representatives of Consejo Nacional de Areas Protegidas (CONAP) - Las Verapaces, Asociación de Proyectos Evaluados Raxmu (PROEVAL RAXMU), Peace Corps, Cooperativa Sanimtaca, Cooperativa Samac, and Comité Central Menotita. This first assessment of IBAs in Guatemala was conducted by Sociedad Guatemalteca de Ornitología and BirdLife International in the Americas.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lachuá - Ik'bolay (Guatemala). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lachuá--ikbolay-iba-guatemala on 22/11/2024.
