• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
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• Reference and further resources

Site description (2007 baseline)
Located in the centre of the island, approximately 2,250 ha of the 15,000 ha Mt. Diablo IBA area are Forest Reserves. It is part of a central limestone ridge that traverses east-central to western Jamaica. The area contributed to a “Spinal Forest” that once blanketed up to two-thirds of the island. Apart from forest reserves, the remaining privately-owned land is a mix of (a) owned by private company (e.g., bauxite companies); (b) individual (est. < 1000 ha). This site is Crown Land (although some areas may be under private ownership), but is currently unprotected.

Key biodiversity
This IBA is internationally important for the Endan-gered Jamaican Blackbird Nesopsar nigerrimus (EN) while 27 of the island’s 28 endemic spe-cies inhabit his area, though population sizes of forest-dependent species are presumed declining because of mining-associated habitat loss. Other species include Black-billed Parrot Amazona agilis (VU) which occurs at extremely low den-sities: < 1 pair per km), Yellow-billed Parrot Amazona collaria (VU), Ring-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas caribaea (VU), and Plain Pi-geon Patagioenas inornata (NT)

Non-bird biodiversity: Giant Swallowtail Pterourus homerus (EN) has been extirpated from Mount Diablo within the past 80 years. An endemic moth Hypercompe persola was found at this site in 2005, the first record here. Four vascular plant species are en-demic to Mount Diablo: Dipazium montedi-abloense (Polypodiaceae), Polystichum am-biguum (Polypodiaceae), Lepanthes tubuli-flora (Orchidaceae), Psychotria coeloneura (Rubiaceae). None of these plants appears on the 2004 IUCN RedList, but based on the extreme habitat destruction occurring, population status for each should be evaluated immediately.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mount Diablo (Jamaica). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mount-diablo-iba-jamaica on 22/12/2024.