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close| Location | Guatemala, Retalhuleu,San Marcos |
| Central coordinates | 92o 4.95' West 14o 27.51' North |
| IBA criteria | A4i |
| Area | 20,659 ha |
| Altitude | 0 - 20m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2007 |
Summary Manchon-Guamuchal is an important wetland on the Guatemalan Pacific coast, it supports more than 1% of the world population of American White Pelican.
Ornithological information Based on a continental population estimate (Wetlands International 2006) and local estimates (Eisermann 2006), it is assumed that Manchon-Guamuchal supports more than 1% of the population of American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos). Although not of global importance, the site supports large numbers of resident and migrating waterbirds (Sigüenza 1995, 2007).
Site description Manchon-Guamuchal is the largest mangrove area on the Guatemalan Pacific coast, located near the border to Chiapas, Mexico.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-bellied Chachalaca Ortalis leucogastra | resident | 2006 | - | poor | Least Concern | |
| Bare-throated Tiger-heron Tigrisoma mexicanum | resident | 2006 | 200 individuals | poor | Least Concern | |
| American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos | winter | 2006 | 2,000 individuals | poor | A4i | Least Concern |
| Pacific Screech-owl Megascops cooperi | resident | 2006 | - | poor | Least Concern | |
| Yellow-winged Cacique Cacicus melanicterus | resident | 2002 | 10 nests | medium | Least Concern |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Chorrera - Manchón Guamuchal | Private Natural Reserve | 1,243 | protected area contained by site | 0 |
|
| Manchón-Guamuchal | Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) | 13,500 | protected area contained by site | 0 |
|
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Coastline | Estuarine waters; Lagoons; Salt & brackish marshes; Sand dunes & beaches | 25% |
| Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) | Forestry & agro-industrial plantations; Improved pasture land; Perennial crops, orchards & groves | 16% |
| Forest | Mangrove | 33% |
| Grassland | Low, seasonally wet; Second-growth & grazed | 19% |
| Shrubland | Second-growth & disturbed scrub | 3% |
| Artificial landscapes (aquatic) | Salt pans & salinas | 5% |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| agriculture | 11% |
| fisheries/aquaculture | 10% |
| hunting | major |
| military | minor |
| nature conservation and research | 6% |
| not utilised | minor |
| rangeland/pastureland | minor |
| tourism/recreation | minor |
| urban/industrial/transport | 1% |
| water management | minor |
Management considerations The area lacks management. Hunting seems to be intensive; e.g. massive kills of White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) have been observed (R. Sigüenza in Eisermann 2006). Mangrove deforestation and water pollution by agrochemicals were reported by López et al. (1993) and Schaeffer Novelli (2003).
Protection status Currently about 6% of the IBA is legally protected as private protected area (CONAP 2007). The site has been designated an important wetland under the Ramsar convention in 1995.
Acknowledgements The Museum of Natural History Jorge Ibarra, hosted a workshop in Guatemala City in June 2006. This first assessment of IBAs in Guatemala was conducted by Sociedad Guatemalteca de Ornitología and BirdLife International in the Americas.
References
CONAP. 2007. Lista de áreas protegidas inscritas en el SIGAP. Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CONAP), Guatemala. (Database accessed in June 2007)
Eisermann, K. 2006. Evaluation of waterbird populations and their conservation in Guatemala. Final report. Sociedad Guatemalteca de Ornitología, Guatemala. Online at: www.avesdeguatemala.org/avesacuaticas.htm
López, J. E., L. Gaitán, M. Díaz & M. J. González. 1993. Information sheet on Ramsar wetlands, Manchón-Guamuchal. FIIT, Guatemala.
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.
Schaeffer Novelli, Y. 2003. Humedales de Importancia Internacional, en una Encrucijada – Conservar o Conservar: El Caso de Manchón-Guamuchal. Informe Técnico, Imágenes, Consideraciones y Reflexiones. Universidad de Sao Paolo-Instituto Oceanográfico Laboratorio BIOMA-Bioecología de Manglares, Sao Paulo, Brasil.
Sigüenza, R. 1995. Evaluación de fluctuaciones poblacionales de aves en Manchón-Guamuchal, San Marcos-Retalhuleu, Guatemala. Tesis de Licenciatura, Univ. San Carlos, Guatemala.
Sigüenza, R. 2007. Informe de conteos de Anátidas en Guatemala, temporada 2006-2007. Fundación Defensores de la Naturaleza, Guatemala. Unpublished report to Ducks Unlimited.
Wetlands International. 2006. Waterbird population estimates. 4th edition. Wetlands International, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Manchon-Guamuchal. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 21/05/2013
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