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GT014
Santiaguito Volcano (part of Guatemalan/Mexican Pacific Coastal Mountains AZE)
Location Guatemala, Quetzaltenango,Retalhuleu,San Marcos,Sololá,Suchitepéquez
Central coordinates 91o 37.89' West  14o 45.19' North
IBA criteria A1, A2, A3
Area 121,461 ha
Altitude 500 - 3,600m
Year of IBA assessment 2007





Summary IBA Santiaguito Volcano is an important site for range-restricted birds of the North Central American Highlands and the North Central American Pacific Slope. The area supports four globally threatened species: Highland and Horned Guan, Pink-headed Warbler, and Azure-rumped Tanager. Coffee plantations, corn fields, and secondary growth scrub cover 69% of the IBA. About 21% of the IBA are legally protected.

Ornithological information IBA Santiaguito Volcano is important for range-restricted species of the North Central American Highlands (16 species recorded) and of the North Central American Pacific Slope (2 species), and for biome-restricted species of the Madrean Highlands (36 species) and the Pacific Arid Slope (6 species). The site supports populations of four globally threatened species: Highland and Horned Guan (Penelopina nigra and Oreophasis derbianus), Pink-headed Warbler (Ergaticus versicolor), and Azure-rumped Tanager (Tangara cabanisi), according to local bird inventories (Vannini 1989, Tenez 1997, 2005, Valle et al. 2000, González-García et al. 2001, 2006, Cooper 2003, Brooks & Gee 2006, Eisermann & Avendaño 2007).

Site description IBA Santiaguito Volcano is located in the Guatemalan volcanic belt, bordered in the West by IBA Tacana-Tajumulco and in the East by IBA Atitlan. The site includes volcano Santiaguito, one of Guatemala’s active volcanoes, and the major volcanoes Santa María, Santiaguito, Chicabal, and Santo Tomás. The site ranges in altitude from 500 to 3600 m.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Highland Guan Penelopina nigra resident  2006  -  poor  A1, A2, A3  Vulnerable 
White-bellied Chachalaca Ortalis leucogastra resident  2006  -  poor  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Horned Guan Oreophasis derbianus resident  2006  -  poor  A1, A2, A3  Endangered 
White-faced Quail-dove Geotrygon albifacies resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Orange-fronted Parakeet Aratinga canicularis resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Fulvous Owl Strix fulvescens resident  2006  -  poor  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Southern Saw-whet Owl Aegolius ridgwayi resident  2006  -  poor    Least Concern 
Emerald-chinned Hummingbird Abeillia abeillei resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
White-eared Hummingbird Hylocharis leucotis resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Blue-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia cyanura resident  2006  -  poor  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Amethyst-throated Hummingbird Lampornis amethystinus resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Green-throated Mountain-gem Lampornis viridipallens resident  2006  -  poor  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Garnet-throated Hummingbird Lamprolaima rhami resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Sparkling-tailed Hummingbird Tilmatura dupontii resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Wine-throated Hummingbird Atthis ellioti resident  2006  -  poor  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Mountain Trogon Trogon mexicanus resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Blue-throated Motmot Aspatha gularis resident  2006  -  poor  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Long-tailed Manakin Chiroxiphia linearis resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Greater Pewee Contopus pertinax resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Chestnut-sided Shrike-vireo Vireolanius melitophrys resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Green Shrike-vireo Vireolanius pulchellus resident  2006  -  poor    Least Concern 
Black-throated Jay Cyanolyca pumilo resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Bushy-crested Jay Cyanocorax melanocyaneus resident  2006  -  poor  A2, A3  Least Concern 
White-throated Magpie-jay Calocitta formosa resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Unicoloured Jay Aphelocoma unicolor resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Grey Silky-flycatcher Ptilogonys cinereus resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Black-capped Swallow Notiochelidon pileata resident  2006  -  poor  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Rufous-naped Wren Campylorhynchus rufinucha resident  2006  -  poor    Least Concern 
Banded Wren Thryothorus pleurostictus resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Blue-and-white Mockingbird Melanotis hypoleucus resident  2006  -  poor  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Brown-backed Solitaire Myadestes occidentalis resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Slate-coloured Solitaire Myadestes unicolor resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Black Thrush Turdus infuscatus resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Rufous-collared Robin Turdus rufitorques resident  2006  -  poor  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Olive Warbler Peucedramus taeniatus resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Black-capped Siskin Carduelis atriceps resident  2006  -  poor  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Hooded Grosbeak Coccothraustes abeillei resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Crescent-chested Warbler Parula superciliosa resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Pink-headed Warbler Ergaticus versicolor resident  2006  -  poor  A1, A2, A3  Vulnerable 
Golden-browed Warbler Basileuterus belli resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Prevost's Ground-sparrow Melozone biarcuata resident  2006  -  poor    Least Concern 
White-eared Ground-sparrow Melozone leucotis resident  2006  -  poor  A2  Least Concern 
White-naped Brush-finch Atlapetes albinucha resident  2006  -  poor    Least Concern 
Azure-rumped Tanager Tangara cabanisi resident  2003  -  poor  A1, A2, A3  Endangered 
Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer Diglossa baritula resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Blue-crowned Chlorophonia Chlorophonia occipitalis resident  2006  -  poor  A3  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Abaj Takalik Area de Proteccin Especial 237 protected area contained by site 237  
Buenos Aires Private Nature Reserve 74 protected area contained by site 74  
Dolores Hidalgo Private Nature Reserve 67 protected area contained by site 67  
El Baúl National Park 240 protected area contained by site 8  
El Caracol, Los Espinos, Mirasol y Tizate Regional Park 41 protected area contained by site 41  
Finca Asturias Private Nature Reserve 237 protected area contained by site 237  
La Bohemia Private Nature Reserve 18 protected area contained by site 18  
Las Nubes Private Nature Reserve 945 protected area contained by site 945  
Ona Private Nature Reserve 1,930 protected area contained by site 1,930  
Quetzaltenango - Saqbé Regional municipal park 5,661 protected area contained by site 5,661  
Volcanes Santo Tomas y Zunil Zona de Amortiguamiento 5,987 protected area contained by site 5,987  
Volcán Cerro Quemado Zona de Veda Definitiva 1,036 protected area contained by site 1,036  
Volcán Chicabal Permanent closure zone 1,572 protected area contained by site 1,572  
Volcán Lacandón Zona de Veda Definitiva 5,016 protected area contained by site 5,016  
Volcán Santa María Zona de Veda Definitiva 1,886 protected area contained by site 1,886  
Volcán Santiaguito Zona de Veda Definitiva 2,152 protected area contained by site 2,152  
Volcán Santo Tomás Zona de Veda Definitiva 6,600 protected area contained by site 6,600  
Volcán Siete Orejas Zona de Veda Definitiva 1,654 protected area contained by site 1,654  
Volcán Zunil Zona de Veda Definitiva 3,778 protected area contained by site 3,778  
Zunil Regional municipal park 4,325 protected area contained by site 4,325  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) Abandoned & fallow farmland, disturbed ground; Forestry & agro-industrial plantations; Improved pasture land; Other urban & industrial areas; Perennial crops, orchards & groves  67%
Forest Montane broadleaf evergreen; Pine-oak; Tropical lowland evergreen  27%
Rocky areas Scree & boulders  2%
Shrubland Second-growth & disturbed scrub  4%
Wetlands (inland) Rivers  1%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture 69%
forestry minor
hunting major
nature conservation and research 21%
rangeland/pastureland 1%
tourism/recreation minor
urban/industrial/transport 1%
water management minor
not utilised minor

Management considerations About 150 years ago began the establishment of coffee plantations, which caused an extensive loss of habitat for species like Azure-rumped Tanager and Highland Guan, which are now considered threatened. Bird populations are threatened by management deficiencies in protected areas, an advancing agricultural border, illegal logging and hunting, and forest fires.

Protection status About 21% of the IBA are legally protected, including a National Park, five Regional Parks, protected zones of all volcano cones (Zona de Veda Definitiva), and six Private Nature Reserves (CONAP 2007).

Conservation response Nearctic-Neotropical migratory birds have been studied by Vannini (1994) and Calvo & Blake (1998).

Acknowledgements Consejo Nacional de Areas Protegidas (CONAP) - Solola supported a workshop to identify IBAs in June 2006, hosted by Universidad del Valle (Altiplano) in Solola, and the Museum of Natural History Jorge Ibarra, hosted a workshop in Guatemala City in June 2006. Input of unpublished data and suggestions for the delimitation of the IBA were provided during these workshop by representatives of CONAP, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala - Altiplano, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Fundación para el Ecodesarrollo y la Conservación (FUNDAECO) – Huehuetenango; Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Alimentación de Guatemala (MAGA) - Solola, Cuerpo de Paz, Municipality of Tecpan, Autoridad para el Manejo Sustentable de la Cuenca del Lago Atitlán y su Entorno (AMSCLAE), and Los Tarrales Nature Reserve, and by Jason Berry of Conservation International – Washington D.C. during personal consultation. This first assessment of IBAs in Guatemala was conducted by Sociedad Guatemalteca de Ornitología and BirdLife International in the Americas.

References 

Brooks, T. M. & B. Gee. 2006. Horned Guans and other birds at Fuentes Georginas, Guatemala. Pato-Poc 3: 3-9.

Calvo, L. & J. Blake. 1998. Bird diversity and abundance on two different shade coffee plantations in Guatemala. Bird Conserv. Int. 8: 297-308.

CONAP. 2007. Lista de áreas protegidas inscritas en el SIGAP. Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CONAP), Guatemala. (Database accessed in June 2007)

Eisermann, K. & C. Avendaño. 2007. Lista comentada de las aves de Guatemala - Annotated checklist of the birds of Guatemala. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

González-García, F. D. M. Brooks & S. D. Strahl. 2001. Estado de conservación de los Crácidos en México y Centro América. Pp. 1-50. In Strahl, S. D., S. Beaujon, D. M. Brooks, A. J. Begazo, G. Sedaghatkish & F. Olmos (eds.). The Cracidae: their biology and conservation. Hancock House Publ., Blaine, Washington.

González-Garcia, F., Rivas Romero, R. A. & Cóbar Carranza, A. J. 2006. Horned Guan (Oreophasis derbianus). Pp. 36-41. In D. M. Brooks (ed.) Conserving Cracids: the most threatened family of birds in the Americas. Miscellaneous Publications of the Houston Museum of Natural Science 6.

MAGA. 2006. Mapa de cobertura vegetal y uso de la tierra a escala 1:50,000 de la República de Guatemala, Año 2003 (Incluye 5 cultivos perennes actualizados al año 2005). Memoria técnica y descripción de resultados. Ministerio de Agricultura Ganadería y Alimentación –MAGA– / Unidad de Planificación Geográfica y Gestión de Riesgo –UPGGR–, Guatemala Ciudad, Guatemala.

Tenez, D. 1997. Inventario de la avifauna presente en el volcán Santa María y Siete Orejas, en Quetzaltenango, y en el bosque comunal de Totonicapán. HELVETAS-PROBOSQUES. (Unpublished report)

Tenez, D. 2005. Avifauna del Volcán Lacandón, Quetzaltenango. Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas, Guatemala. (Unpublished report)

Valdez, O. I., D. E. Marroquín, R. E. Orellana, S. G. Pérez, K. J. Sandoval, L. Villar, C. V. Godínez, M. E.Acevedo, J. E. Morales & L. E. Reyes. 1999. Fauna en peligro de extinción de Guatemala: inventarios rápidos para la conservación. Informe final (noviembre). Centro de Estudios Conservacionistas, Univ. San Carlos, Guatemala.

Vannini, J. P. 1989. Preliminary checklist to the birds of Finca el Faro, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Publicación Ocasional, No. 2. Fundación Interamericana de Investigación Tropical, Guatemala.

Vannini, J. P. 1994. Nearctic avian migrants in coffee plantations and forest fragments of south-western Guatemala. Bird Conserv. Int. 4: 209-232.

Valle, L., M. Véliz, Y. Paíz, D. Tenez, G. Santos, R. Anleu, M. Acevedo, I. de la Roca, S. Elías & R. Soto. 2000. Estudio de áreas de conservación la biodiversidad en los volcanes al sur de Quetzaltenango. TNC/PROARCA (CAPAS), Guatemala. (Unpublished report)

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Santiaguito Volcano (part of Guatemalan/Mexican Pacific Coastal Mountains AZE). Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013

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