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close| Location | Costa Rica, Alajuela,Heredia,Limón |
| Central coordinates | 83o 55.54' West 10o 37.56' North |
| IBA criteria | A1, A2, A3, A4i |
| Area | 417,041 ha |
| Altitude | |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2007 |
Site description El AICA se localiza dentro de la cuenca del Río San Juan y abarca una porción importante de la vertiente atlántica norte de Costa Rica, incluyendo parte de los cantones de Grecia, San Carlos, Sarapiquí y Pococí. La mayor cobertura natural está presente en zonas inferiores a los 200 msnm, las cuales reciben precipitaciones promedias entre 2600 y 6000 mm anuales. Esta AICA forma parte del corredor migratorio costero de la vertiente Caribe costera en el ecosistema “bosque tropical siempreverde latifoliado” y “bosque latifoliado pantanoso”, con varios grados de altura, drenaje e intervención, así como sistemas agropecuarios. Los bosques típicos de esta área son del tipo Húmedo a Muy Húmedo Tropical, siendo comunes árboles como el Almendro de Montaña (Dipteryx panamensis) y otros de gran fuste limpio como el Ceiba (Ceiba pentandra), el Jícaro (Lecythis ampla) o el Jabillo (Hura crepitans). En su porción más oriental (Tortuguero y Barra del Colorado), existen bosques inundados con una red de canales naturales y artificiales y ecosistemas importantes de Yolillo (Raphia taedigera y Coroso oleifera) a veces asociados con Gavilán (Pentaclethra macroloba) y Sangrillo (Pterocarpus officinalis). El sector oriental del AICA se destaca por la presencia de varios tipos de humedales pantanosos, lacustres, y ecosistemas marino-costeros de suma importancia ecológica, incluyendo playas arenosas bien conservadas, con una extensión de 134424 ha. Esta AICA mantiene el 64% de su extensión terrestre con cobertura natural (bosque natural, bosque secundario, y cuerpos de agua), y el 34% en cobertura alterada (agropecuario) (Chassot en prep.).
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Curassow Crax rubra | breeding | 2006 | - | poor | A1 | Vulnerable |
| Bare-throated Tiger-heron Tigrisoma mexicanum | breeding | 2006 | 100-250 individuals | poor | Least Concern | |
| Green Heron Butorides virescens | breeding | 2006 | 800-1,000 individuals | poor | Least Concern | |
| Crested Eagle Morphnus guianensis | winter | 2006 | 1-5 individuals | poor | Near Threatened | |
| Black Rail Laterallus jamaicensis | breeding | 2006 | - | - | Near Threatened | |
| Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus | passage | 2006 | 250-500 individuals | poor | A4i | Least Concern |
| Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius | winter | 2006 | - | poor | A4i | Least Concern |
| Great Green Macaw Ara ambiguus | breeding | 2006 | 200-250 individuals | good | A1 | Endangered |
| Keel-billed Motmot Electron carinatum | breeding | 2006 | - | poor | A1, A3 | Vulnerable |
| Chestnut-coloured Woodpecker Celeus castaneus | breeding | 2006 | - | - | A3 | Least Concern |
| White-collared Manakin Manacus candei | breeding | 2006 | - | - | A3 | Least Concern |
| Three-wattled Bellbird Procnias tricarunculatus | resident | 2006 | 10-30 individuals | poor | Vulnerable | |
| Snowy Cotinga Carpodectes nitidus | breeding | 2006 | - | - | A2, A3 | Least Concern |
| Streak-crowned Antvireo Dysithamnus striaticeps | breeding | 2006 | - | - | A2, A3 | Least Concern |
| Black-throated Wren Thryothorus atrogularis | breeding | 2006 | - | - | A2, A3 | Least Concern |
| Stripe-breasted Wren Thryothorus thoracicus | breeding | 2006 | - | - | A3 | Least Concern |
| Northern Nightingale-wren Microcerculus philomela | breeding | 2006 | - | - | A3 | Least Concern |
| Montezuma Oropendola Psarocolius montezuma | breeding | 2006 | - | - | A3 | Least Concern |
| Black-cowled Oriole Icterus prosthemelas | breeding | 2006 | - | - | A3 | Least Concern |
| Nicaraguan Seed-finch Oryzoborus nuttingi | breeding | 2006 | - | - | A2, A3 | Least Concern |
| Crimson-collared Tanager Ramphocelus sanguinolentus | breeding | 2006 | - | - | A3 | Least Concern |
| Scarlet-rumped Tanager Ramphocelus passerinii | breeding | 2006 | - | - | A3 | Least Concern |
| Yellow-crowned Euphonia Euphonia luteicapilla | breeding | 2006 | - | - | A3 | Least Concern |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barra del Colorado (mixto) | National Wildlife Refuge | 81,048 | unknown | 0 |
|
| Corredor fronterizo (estatal) | National Wildlife Refuge | 60,071 | unknown | 0 |
|
| Dr.Archie Carr (estatal) | National Wildlife Refuge | 42 | unknown | 0 |
|
| La Selva | Protective Zone | 2,423 | unknown | 0 |
|
| Tortuguero | National Park | 79,249 | unknown | 0 |
|
| Tortuguero | Protective Zone | 5,582 | unknown | 0 |
|
Acknowledgements Autor: Olivier Chassot & Guisselle Monge Arias
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Caribbean lowlands and wetlands. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013
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