Data Zone
Country/territory: United States Minor Outlying Islands (to USA)
Subnational region(s): Navassa
IBA Justification: A1, A4ii (2007)
Area: 165,357 hectares (1,653.57 km2)
| Conservation status of the Important Bird Area (IBA) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2008 | unfavourable | medium | low |
Site description (2008 baseline)
Navassa Island IBA is situated 53 km west of Haiti, 136 km
east of Jamaica and 152 km south of Cuba. The IBA includes
the 500-ha island and marine areas up to 22 km from it, thus
covering 147,600 ha of open ocean. Navassa is a small, pearshaped
island plateau that rises abruptly from deep water. It is
surrounded by a series of submarine coralline terraces. The
karst dolomite terrain slopes from the lower north-western edge
towards the south-eastern side and supports upland evergreen
woodland and sparse shrubby vegetation. The island is
surrounded by a submerged coral reef ecosystem and open sea.
Key biodiversity
This IBA is globally significant for its breeding colony of Redfooted
Booby Sula sula, a large majority of which are
immature, which is concentrated along the sheltered (leeward)
north-western to southern perimeter of the island. The
breeding population, conservatively estimated at 175
individuals, of Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificensis is regionally important, and small numbers of Brown Booby
Sula leucogaster also breed on the island. Hundreds of Near
Threatened White-crowned Pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala
occur, and the Vulnerable White-necked Crow Corvus
leucognaphalus has been recorded on the island, but is
probably a transient visitor.
Non-bird biodiversity: The Critically Endangered hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata occurs. Four endemic reptiles are abundant on the island, namely Navassa anole Anolis longiceps, Navassa gecko Aristelliger cochranae, Navassa dwarf gecko Sphaerodactylus becki and the Navassa galliwasp Celestus badius.
Acknowledgements
Author: Joseph Schwagerl (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and Verónica Anadón-Irizarry (BirdLife International)
The authors would like to thank Susan Silander, Claudia Lombard
(USFWS), Jean W. Wiener (Fondation pour la Protection de la
Biodiversité Marine) and John Curnutt (USDA Forest Service Eastern
Region) for contributing to this chapter.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Navassa (United States Minor Outlying Islands (to USA)). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/navassa-iba-united-states-minor-outlying-islands-(to-usa) on 13/01/2025.