Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information Restricted-range species found in the reserve include the Bridled Quail-dove Geotrygon mustacea, Lesser Antillean Flycatcher Myiarchus oberi berlepshii, Purple-throated Carib Eulampis jugularis, Green-throated Carib Eulampis holosericeus, Antillean Crested Hummingbird Orthorhyncus cristatus, Brown Trembler Cinclocerthia ruficauda pavida, Pearly-eyed Thrasher Margarops fuscatus, Scaly-breasted Thrasher Margops fuscus, Lesser Antillean Bullfinch Loxigilla noctis, and Antillean Euphonia Euphonia musica. Specific locations and population estimates were not found in the literature. Steadman et al. report that all except the Green-throated are common in undisturbed moist forests on St. Kitts.Six species of neotropical migrants have been reported from this habitat type on St. Kitts

Site description The St. Kitts Central Forest Reserve is comprised of all areas over 300 meters elevation. The dominant feature of the reserve is Mt. Liamuiga (1,156 m), the highest point on St. Kitts. It is part of the mountain range which runs north to south and forms the northern part of the island. Human settlement is limited to the lower elevations, where sugarcane fields were farmed and villages dot the coastal area. Canyons, or ghauts, radiate from the peak.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Brimstone Hill Fortress	National Park	15	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park	World Heritage Convention	0	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Mt. Liamigua Central Range	National Park	0	is identical to site	5,960

Habitats

Land use

Other biodiversity No endemic or threatened botanical species are reported for St. Kitts. Restricted-range herpetofauna and bats are not known but likely exist within the proposed IBA.

Management considerations It is not known if hunting is a threat to game birds such as the Bridled Quail-dove. The Wild Birds Protection Ordinance of 1913 prohibited or regulated hunting of 27 species. The National Conservation and Environment Protection Act of 1987 enables further protection for approximately 90 avian species. Enforcement levels of these laws are unknown.

Protection status The proposed IBA encompasses all of the mountain range, from Mt. Liamuiga south to Mount Olivee above the 300 meter elevation, which forms the Central Forest Reserve. The Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is a World Heritage Site. Brimstone Hill is located on the western slope of Mt. Liamuiga but is not included within the IBA boundary.

Conservation response There is no ongoing avian research. The Central Forest Reserve is now part of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Protected Areas and Associated Livelihoods (OPAAL) Project. This conservation project aims to develop sustainable resource extraction which benefits local residents

Further web sources of information 

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

References Burdon, K.J. 1920;Danforth, S.T. 1936;Steadman, D.W., R.L. Norton, M.R. Browning, and W.J. Arendt. 1997;Street, H.M. Birds seen at St. Kitts, March 12-19, 1994

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: St. Kitts Central Forest Reserve. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 26/05/2013

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