MP007
Maug Islands


Country/territory: Northern Mariana Islands (to USA)

IBA criteria met: A1, A2, A4i, A4ii (2012)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here

Area: 186 hectares (1.86 km2)

IBA conservation status
Year of assessment (most recent) State (condition) Pressure (threat) Response (action)
2012 not assessed low medium
For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here


Site description (2007 baseline)
The proposed Maug Islands IBA is composed of three separate islets that are the remains of a collapsed volcanic cone. They are thickly vegetated mostly with grasses, low scrub, and coconut trees. The proposed IBA is uninhabited and protected by CNMI law as a Wildlife Conservation Area.

Key biodiversity
The entire three-island complex of Maug is proposed as an IBA because of its population of breeding seabirds. The three Maug Islands qualify under the A4i criteria for Brown Noddies and under the A4ii criteria for Red-tailed Tropicbirds. Micronesian Megapodes are common on Maug (Reichel and Glass, 1991). Maug is also home to Micronesian Starlings and Micronesian Honeyeaters. The islands are lushly vegetated (UOG, 1977) and are protected as part of the Northern Islands Conservation Areas (DFW, 2007d).

Non-bird biodiversity: Additional species occurring on the island include Mariana Fruit Bat.


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Maug Islands (Northern Mariana Islands (to USA)). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/maug-islands-iba-northern-mariana-islands-(to-usa) on 24/12/2024.