Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information This area is important for flamingo migration and Caribbean Coots. Although West Indian Whistling Duck is reported, its presence needs to be confirmed with recent inventories. Most recent reports were only done in June 2003. They report 80 to 100 flamingos and 250 to 300 Caribbean Coots.

Site description Lac Azuéi, also called Etang saumâtre (Brackish Pond) is the largest water body in Haiti (113 km2 30 meter deep). Located at between N18°29 - 18° 38 and W71°52 - 72°04 (Edouarzin, 2004), it lies west of the Cul-de-Sac plain near the Haitan-Dominican border, in the Neiba-Cul-de-Sac depression. It separates the north and south paleoisland and is an important part of the Lago Enriquillo - Trou Caiman wetland/ecoregion of outstanding biological value. It is exploited by more than 300 fishermen, by hunters for migratory ducks and flamingos (for trophies). Very close to the transnational road in the Malpasse area, the lake is unfortunately polluted. It is used as a solid waste area. At the immigration/emigration post in Malpasse, numerous male travelers use it as a rest area at the immigration. Population around the lake consists of permanent dwellers and travelers. Resident population is estimated at more than 60,000 from the localities of Ganthier, Thomazeau, Fond Parizien and Malpasse living of agriculture in a subtropical dry zone irrigated by the rivers that drains in the lake (Riviere Blanche and Thomazeau). Its proximity to Port-au-Prince and to the Dominican Republic is an opportunity to develop an ecotourism program as proposed by the Ministry of Environment and the FONDTAH (Fondation pour le Developpement du Tourisme Alternatif en Haiti) during the first binational fair in Fonds Parisien (20 novembre au 5 decembre 2004).

Populations of IBA trigger species

Habitats

Land use

Other biodiversity The waters of the lake include 9 species of fish (5 endemics, Tilapia and Carps introduced) and American Crocodiles and an endemic turtle that usually hides in the mangrove as well as other crustaceous not identified yet.

Management considerations Very close to the international border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the lake serves as a garbage "landfill" and toilet for passenger that are waiting long enough for immigration/emigration checks because there are no public services for travelers.

Protection status Listed by Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development as a "to be protected area", but not protected.

Conservation response Between 2002-2005, Ducks Unlimited carried on a monitoring project on wetlands in Haiti. Paul Judex Edouarzin, Natural science and environmental education specialist, M.S., biologist and ecologist. judouarzin@yahoo.fr Ducks Unlimited Haiti Waterfowl Surveys http://www.ducks.org/conservation/lac_survey_haiti.asp In 2003, the Société Audubon Haiti proposed, to GOH and TNC, an enabling activity project to assess and confirm this wetland biodiversity, potential to ecotourism and implement a management plan to Haitian government and The Nature Conservancy. Philippe Bayard, Société Audubon Haiti (Pbayard@societeaudubonhaiti.org) JR. Crouse, from the Free Methodist Church has dedicated many weekends to provide invaluable accounts on birds of these areas from 2001 to mid 2005. In 2003, the Ministry of Environment celebrated Wetland International Day with emphasis on Trou Caiman. For the occasion, Dimitri Norris, Chief of Biodiversity management and erosion control at the Ministry of Environment published an article in the Nouvelliste, a major newspaper, on the birds of Trou Caïman. In addition, technical assistance was requested http://www.ramsar.org/wwd2003_rpt_haiti1.htm Dimitri Norris, Ministry of Environment (Dimitrynorris@hotmail.com) Prior to 1989, John Thorbjarnarson surveyed the area for crocodiles and in1990 made a survey on flamingos. John Thorbjarnarson (jthorbjarnarson@wcs.org ) Wildlife Conservation Society PO Box 357625 Gainesville, FL 32635-7625 Tel: 352-264-7775

Acknowledgements Florence Sergile. Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. University of Florida

Further web sources of information 

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

References Crouze (2003);Edouazin(2004);Wiley and Wiley (1979); Thorbjarnarson (1988);Ottenwalser et al. (1990)

Contribute  Please click here to help BirdLife conserve the world's birds - your data for this IBA and others are vital for helping protect the environment.

Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lac Azuéi . Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife