North San Diego Lagoons


IBA Justification

The site was identified as important in 2012 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:
Species Red List1 Season Year(s) Size IBA criteria
Heermann's Gull Larus heermanni NT non-breeding 2001 max 560 individuals A1
Least Tern Sternula antillarum LC breeding 2003 max 574 breeding pairs A4i

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2012) may differ.


IBA Protection

Year Protected Area Designation % overlap with IBA
- Torrey Pines State Reserve 15
- Agua Hedionda Lagoon Ecological Reserve 4
- San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy Environmental System 1
- Batiquitos Lagoon Ecological Reserve 1
- Buena Vista Lagoon and Nature Center <1
- Buena Vista Creek Ecological Reserve <1
- San Dieguito Lagoon Private Conservation Land -
1969 Buena Vista Lagoon Ecological Reserve 4
1977 San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve 2
1978 Batiquitos Lagoon Ecological Reserve <1
2000 San Elijo Lagoon Reserve - Fee Iod Reserve <1
2011 WRP_San Diego, CA (06073) Environmental System 1
2012 San Elijo Lagoon State Marine Conservation Area 15
2012 Batiquitos Lagoon State Marine Conservation Area 9
2012 San Dieguito Lagoon State Marine Conservation Area 3


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: North San Diego Lagoons (USA). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/north-san-diego-lagoons-iba-usa on 27/11/2024.