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BS014
Harrold and Wilson Ponds National Park
Location Bahamas, New Providence
Central coordinates 77o 22.59' West  25o 2.25' North
IBA criteria A1, A2, A4i, B4i
Area 81 ha
Altitude 0 - 5m
Year of IBA assessment 2007

Bahamas National Trust (Partner Designate)



Ornithological information More than 100 avian species, including the island's highest concentration of herons, egrets, ibises and cormorants have been identified there, providing confirmation that the area is an indespensable habitat for birdlife on New Providence.

Site description Located in South Central New Providence, Harrold and Wilson Ponds encompass 250 acres of wetlands. An exceptional educational and ecotourism site, a stone's throw from the nation's capital and tourism hub, this area is an invaluable addition to the country's national parks system.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Laughing Gull Larus atricilla resident  2005  -  poor  A4i  Least Concern 
Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica breeding  2005  -  poor  B4i  Least Concern 
Royal Tern Sterna maxima breeding  2005  -  poor  B4i  Least Concern 
White-crowned Pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala resident  2005  -  poor  A1  Near Threatened 
Bahama Woodstar Calliphlox evelynae resident  2005  -  poor  A2  Least Concern 
Thick-billed Vireo Vireo crassirostris resident  2005  -  poor  A2  Least Concern 
Bahama Swallow Tachycineta cyaneoviridis resident  2005  -  poor  A1, A2  Endangered 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Harrold and Wilson National Park 100 is identical to site 0  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Wetlands (inland)   major
Shrubland   minor

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
tourism/recreation minor
agriculture -
urban/industrial/transport major

Management considerations Agriculture with its use of fertilizers and pesticides.Commercial chicken farm creating pollution by the dumping of body parts.Housing development and squatters create pollutin and utilize illegal dumping to reclaim land.Invasive plant species such as casurinas and brazillian pepper propagate at such a fast rate they will gradually crowd out the native species.

Further web sources of information 

Site profile from Important Bird Areas in the Caribbean: key sites for conservation (BirdLife International 2008)

Contribute  Please click here to help BirdLife conserve the world's birds - your data for this IBA and others are vital for helping protect the environment.

Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Harrold and Wilson Ponds National Park. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 18/06/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife