Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information Six (of the seven) Lesser Antilles EBA restricted-range birds occur at this IBA, and others may occur. Little survey or census work has been carried out. However, the site represents a major portion of Grenada’s remaining high altitude forests that are so important for the restricted-range birds, and may yet prove to support populations of Purple-throated Carib Eulampis jugularis, Scaly-breasted Thrasher Margarops fuscus,Antillean Euphonia Euphonia musica , and Brown Trembler Cinclocerthia ruficauda (all of which were historically known to occur, but have not recently been recorded).

Site description Grand Etang Forest Reserve is within the Southern Mountains of central Grenada. It encompasses mountains such as Mount Sinai (701 m), Mount Grandby (682 m) and Mount Qua Qua (735 m), and several crater lakes including the Grand Etang Lake near the centre of the reserve (at 530 m). Rainforests,lower montane rainforests and elfin woodlands characterise the steeper slopes throughout the high region. At lower altitudes, the trees are smaller and more thickly covered by epiphytes (ferns and mosses). Six plantations of exotics have been established on steep slopes since 1957.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Grand Etang	Forest Reserve	618	is identical to site	0

Habitats

Land use

Other biodiversity Eleutherodactylus euphronides is Endangered and confined to just 16 km2 of Grenadian montane forest at elevations >300 m, including within this Forest Reserve. Anolis aeneus and A.richardii occur at this site along with other reptile and amphibian Grenada Bank endemics. Endemic plants include Grand Etang Fern Danaea sp., the Cabbage Palm Oxeodoxa oleracea, Maythenus grenadensis, hytidophyllum caribaeum,and Lonchcarpus broadwayi. The Mona monkey Cercopithecus mona, introduced from West Africa, is found in the upper montane forest of this IBA.

Management considerations This IBA was designated as a Forest Reserve in 1906. A visitor centre near the Grand Etang Lake is (in 2006) managed privately although nearby trails (and the forest) are maintained by the Forestry and National Parks Department. Illegal hunting and cutting of trees takes place within the forest reserve, though direct impacts on the forest birds are likely to be minimal. Regulations are enforced by the government.

Acknowledgements Author: Bonnie Rusk

Further web sources of information 

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

References BirdLife International (2000), Lack and Lack (1973), Lugo, (2005), Germano et al (2003), Groome (1970), Howard (1950), Rusk and Clouse (2004), Rusk (2005), Thornstrom et al. (2001), Wells (1886), Weaver (1989), Wunderle (1985).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Grand Etang. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 21/05/2013

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