Data Zone
Country/territory: Cuba
IBA criteria met: A1, A2, A3 (2008)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 26,686 hectares (266.86 km2)
Site description (2008 baseline)
Sierra del Rosario IBA is located to the east of Cordillera de
Guaniguanico, in the municipalities of Artemisa, Candelaria,
and Bahía Honda, straddling the border between Pinar del
Río and Havana provinces. Las Peladas Natural Reserve and
El Salón Ecological Reserve comprise the core zone of the
biosphere reserve. The IBA boundaries are the same as those
of the biosphere reserve. The reserve’s eastern entrance is
located 50 km south-west of Havana. The IBA supports 4,800
people in eight communities, one of which, Las Terrazas has
developed a sustainable rural economy and is also an
ecotourism centre. There are remains of seventeenth century
French coffee plantations around Las Terrazas.
Key biodiversity
This IBA is home to 93 bird species (32 of which are biome restricted
species), including 16 Cuba endemics and 10 globally
threatened birds. These threatened species include the
Endangered Blue-headed Quail-dove Starnoenas
cyanocephala, Giant Kingbird Tyrannus cubensis and
Gundlach’s Hawk Accipiter gundlachi, the Vulnerable
Fernandina’s Flicker Colaptes fernandinae and the Near
Threatened Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus and White-crowned
Pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala.
Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals include the endemic hutias Capromys pilorides and Mysateles prehensilis, and 11 species of bats. The lizards Anolis vermiculatus, A. bartschi, and A. mestrei are endemic to the Pinar del Río karst, and five amphibians are also local endemics.
Acknowledgements
Authors: ALINA PÉREZ, HIRAM GONZÁLEZ, FIDEL HERNÁNDEZ
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sierra del Rosario (Cuba). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sierra-del-rosario-iba-cuba on 22/12/2024.