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close| Location | St Vincent and the Grenadines, Mainland St Vincent |
| Central coordinates | 61o 13.70' West 13o 9.65' North |
| IBA criteria | A2 |
| Area | 10 ha |
| Altitude | 61 - 76m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2008 |
Ornithological information The site lies as the foot of Mount St. Andrew, the island’s highest southern peak and therefore supports several species that may otherwise be found in the rainforest. For example, RRS the Purple-throated Carib, which is usually found at higher elevations on St. Vincent, is recorded here. Thirty-six (36) St. Vincent Parrots are currently housed at the Aviary, with an average of two (2) chicks being produced annually (C. Thomas, pers. comm.). The site supports several breeding Black Hawks Buteogallus anthracinus and the regionally-endemic (Ivor Jackson and Associates, 2004) Scaly-naped Pigeon is common.
Site description The Botanic Gardens are the oldest in the western hemisphere and were established in 1765 as an outstation of the Kew Gardens in London. Initially, it was set aside to propagate valuable exotic plants from the East. Today, the Botanic Gardens (20 acres/8 ha) and Government House grounds (residence of the Governor General) form a total protected land area of 45 acres (Ivor Jackson and Associates, 2004). Both sites currently have historic importance, and form major tourist attractions. The Nicholls Wildlife Complex, a breeding aviary initiated in for the St. Vincent Parrot in 1988, lies within this Reserve.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lesser Antillean Swift Chaetura martinica | resident | 2006 | present [units unknown] | - | A2 | Least Concern |
| Purple-throated Carib Eulampis jugularis | resident | 2006 | present [units unknown] | - | A2 | Least Concern |
| Green-throated Carib Eulampis holosericeus | resident | 2006 | present [units unknown] | - | A2 | Least Concern |
| Antillean Crested Hummingbird Orthorhyncus cristatus | resident | 2006 | present [units unknown] | - | A2 | Least Concern |
| Caribbean Elaenia Elaenia martinica | resident | 2006 | present [units unknown] | - | A2 | Least Concern |
| Grenada Flycatcher Myiarchus nugator | resident | 2006 | present [units unknown] | - | A2 | Least Concern |
| Lesser Antillean Bullfinch Loxigilla noctis | resident | 2006 | present [units unknown] | - | A2 | Least Concern |
| Lesser Antillean Tanager Tangara cucullata | resident | 2006 | present [units unknown] | - | A2 | Least Concern |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botanic Gardens | Other Area | 0 | is identical to site | 10 |
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | Second-growth or disturbed scrub | - |
| Forest | - | |
| Introduced/exotic vegetation | - |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| tourism/recreation | - |
| nature conservation and research | - |
| other | - |
| Notes: Botanical Gardens and st Vincent Parrot aviary | |
| agriculture | - |
Other biodiversity The endemic lizard Anolis griseus occurs here. There is also a small population of the regionally-endemic snake M. bruesi .
Management considerations The major issues are associated with recreational use, lack of public awareness and the current inadequate operating structure. The Botanic Gardens is one of the most visited tourism sites on the island and hence disturbance is one of the major factors affecting bird. Several species of birds (Scaly-naped Pigeons, Violet-eared Doves Zeneida auriculata , hummingbirds) nest within the Gardens. Tour guides operating there show visitors the young chicks therein causing disturbance to nests. Additionally, although none of SVGs snakes are poisonous, these reptiles are often killed by staff members and tour guides.
Protection status Existing Bird Sanctuary and Wildlife Reserve. Proposed Landmark (under ths SPAHS)
Further web sources of information
References Ivor Jackson and Associates. 2004;Department of Tourism, 2006
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Botanic Gardens Natural Landmark. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 21/05/2013
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