Current view: Text account
Site description (2007 baseline):
Site location and context
This is an offshore island group 51km SSE of Morant Point, Jamaica. The group consists of four small islets grouped closely together on the summit of a comparatively extensive crescent-shaped bank of coral, over 7km long, rising from 1000m, The cays are low-lying, and fronted by highly exposed reefs over which the sea constantly breaks. They have sparse vegetation and are a seabird rookery and turtle nesting area. Northeast Cay is sometimes divided into three parts, the sea washing over connecting sand spits. There is a lighthouse at Breezy Point, the easternmost point of the cay and of Jamaica.
Seabird nesting site: Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus, Brown Noddy
Anous stolidus, Sooty Tern
Onychoprion fuscatus, Bridled Tern
Onychoprion anaethetus, Magnificent Frigatebird
Fregata magnificens, Laughing Gull
Larus atricilla, and Brown Pelican
Pelcanus occidentalis. Also used as a stopover site by migratory species.
Non-bird biodiversity: Marine turtle nesting site. Plant species include: Sesuvium portulacastrum, Opuntia tuna, Sporobolus virginicus, Suriana maritime, among others.
Rocky and sandy with sparse land vegetation of shrubs and grasses.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The Morant and Pedro Cays Act (1975) makes provision for licensing of all fishing and the taking of turtles, turtle eggs, birds and bird eggs from the Morant and Pedro Cays. There is a fishermen's camp, with several huts and a water tank on the south side of Northeast Cay. Due to a serious decline in recruitment, one cay (Middle Cay) has been selected for monitoring of egg removal, a base camp is established there for about four weeks starting at the end of April. The protected cay is about 5 km from the inhabited cay and within sight of it.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Morant Cays and Bank (Jamaica). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/morant-cays-and-bank-iba-jamaica on 23/11/2024.
