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

Site description (2008 baseline)
The Topes de Collantes IBA is an area of hills within the Sierra del Escambray (part of the Guamuhaya massif) in southwestern Sancti Spiritus province. These hills are characterised by their structural and tectonic complexity (including areas of karst limestone) as well as their cool climate. This has resulted in a diverse range of vegetation types including evergreen forest, pine forest, riparian forest and grasslands, semi-deciduous forest, and secondary scrub containing Dichrostachys cinerea in deforested areas.

Key biodiversity
This IBA supports populations of 26 (of the 48) Greater Antilles biome-restricted including the Endangered Gundlach’s Hawk Accipiter gundlachi, Vulnerable Cuban Parakeet Aratinga euops and Grey-headed Quail-dove Geotrygon caniceps, and Near Threatened Cuban Amazon Amazona leucocephala. Other species of interest include Cuban Green Woodpecker Xiphidiopicus percussus, Limpkin Aramus guarauna, Cuban Martin Progne cryptoleuca, Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor, Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina, Louisiana Waterthrush Seiurus motacilla, Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla, and Red-legged Honeycreeper Cyanerpes cyaneus.

Non-bird biodiversity: Of the 488 higher plant species present, 53 are endemic, 22 of which with some category of global threat. Twenty-five endemics of the Guamuhaya sector have been reported in Pico Potrerillo, including local endemics such as Vernonia potrerilloana, Rondeletia potrerilloana and Psychotria martii.

Acknowledgements
Author:DAYSI RODRÍGUEZ

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Topes de Collantes (Cuba). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/topes-de-collantes-iba-cuba on 22/11/2024.