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

Site description (2001 baseline)
The site is made up of the mountainous massif that includes Le Piton des Neiges (3,069 m, the island’s highest summit) and Le Gros Morne (2,991 m, the meeting point of the island’s three cirques). Its formation resulted from the activity of the now extinct volcano, followed by its collapse and severe erosion. The lower parts (2,000–2,800 m) are covered by montane shrubland or bushland and thicket, whereas the summits are largely bare rock and volcanic scree. The area is uncultivated and uninhabited apart from a mountain refuge, and is used for recreation and tourism, especially hiking, climbing and helicopter trips.

Key biodiversity
See Box and Table 2 for key species. The site covers the most important known breeding area (at least four colonies) of the endemic Pterodroma baraui and could possibly support a small population of P. aterrima.

Non-bird biodiversity: Endemic plant communities: distinctive montane vegetation with many endemic plants.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Piton des Neiges - Gros Morne (Réunion (to France)). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/piton-des-neiges--gros-morne-iba-réunion-(to-france) on 23/12/2024.