Current view: Text account
Site description (2007 baseline):
Site location and context
Farallon de Pajaros is the northernmost island in the CNMI. The island is a steep volcanic cone, which has erupted several times in the last century. The island is largely bare exposed rock with little vegetation. The proposed IBA is uninhabited and protected by CNMI law as a Wildlife Conservation Area.
The entire island of Uracus is proposed as an IBA because of its population of breeding seabirds. Uracus qualifies under both A4i criteria for its population of Sooty Terns and under A4iii for its total population. Micronesian Megapodes are also breeding on the island (Reichel and Glass, 1991).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Volcanic eruptions pose a possible threat. Rats are a threat.
Uracus is currently protected under CNMI law as part of the Northern Islands Conservation Area (DFW, 2007d). The island was previously proposed for protection under the International Biological Programme’s “Islands for Science” program (Falanruw, 1989).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Uracus (Northern Mariana Islands (to USA)). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/uracus-iba-northern-mariana-islands-(to-usa) on 24/12/2024.
