Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information It one of the most diverse IBA within the National Park La Visite. Eighteen endemic species are known in this IBA, among them the Endangered La Selle Trush, the Vulnerable Hispaniolan Parakeet, the near threatened Plain Pigeon, Hispaniolan Trogon and the vulnerable Chat Tanager. It is an important habitat for a number of endemics such as the Hispaniolan Trogon and waterbirds such as the Limpkin. Last inventory of January-February 2005, included misnetting, sight counting and banding from 5:00 am to 7pm. This area is of special concern since it is consider a population sink. Due to the fact that this area was never managed some species may have already been extirpated such as Hispaniolan Parrots and White-Winged Warblers

Site description Aux Cornichons (629 ha) is situated on the Massif de la Selle, West of Seguin on State land. It consists of a slope bordered north by Morne Nacel and Roche Plate, east by Bois Pin Jean Noel, South by Étang Pouillet and West by Ti Place (18°21'N and 72°16' W). Altitudes range from 1000 to 1870 m. Population around Aux Cornichons is made of the former workforce brought in La Scierie area when the pine forest was under national exploitation during the mid 1950's.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
La Visite	Natural National Park	3,000	protected area contains site	0

Habitats

Land use

Other biodiversity This area is habitat for Plagiodontia aedium. Endemic species threatened are: Hypericum millefolium, Miconia rigidissima, Gesneria hypoclada, Siphocamylus caudatus, Ilex blancheana (discovered in 1984) and many of the orchids and epiphytes.

Management considerations Absence of conservation program, Habitat destruction, Introduced animals, Fuelwood extraction, Endemic species extraction, Demography, Land tenure, Introduction of exotic species,Erosion, Tourism, Conversion to agriculture and Hunting.

Protection status Aux Cornichons is located inside Parc National La Visite (3000 ha), in the locality of Bérac to Ti Place, officially declared under protection in 1983. It had been identify in Woods and Harris (1985) as an important area to develop a core zone because of endemicity and water catchment capacity.

Conservation response Darlington Wetmore and Swales James Bond David Wingate - Black-Capped Petrel Charles Woods et al 1975 to 1995. University of Vermont, University of Florida William Oliver - Jersey Wildlife Trust Jose Ottenwalder Bird and endemic mammals, protected areas, University of Florida Heather McPerson - Bird - University of Florida Katherine Graham - Eckerd University, University of Florida Florence Sergile - Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, Haiti and University of Florida Louis Buteau - Ministry of Environment - director of Appui Technique à la Protection des Parks et Forets project Fabienne Taylor - 1996 - Woldbank Chris Rimmer et al. - 2005 - Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences Eladio Fernandez - Wintrop Attie - Fondation Seguin - 1985 to present Larry Harris - University of Florida. 1985 Leonce Bonnefil - University of Puerto-Rico Liliana Davalos et al. 2001?

Acknowledgements Compiler: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 Franz, R and D. Cordier (1986); Gali, F. and A. Schwartz (1986);Holdridge, L.R. (1947);Judd, W.S. (1986);Judd, W.S. (1987);MacFadden, B.J. (1986);MDE. (1999);Paryski, P., C. A. Woods, and F. E. Sergile. (1989);Rimmer, C., E. G. Gomez, J. L. Brocca. (2005);Sergile, F. E. (2001);Sergile, F. E, C. A Woods and P. E Paryski. (1992);Thompson, F. G. (1986);USAID. (1987); Woods, C. A. (1975);Woods, C. A. and J. A. Ottenwalder. (1983); Woods, C. A. and J. A. Ottenwalder. (1986);Woods, C. A., and L. Harris. (1986);Woods, C. A., F. E. Sergile, and J. A. Ottenwalder. (1992); Woods, C.A. (1987);Woods, C.A. (1983); Woods, C.A., and J.A. Ottenwalder(1983); Woods, C.A., and R. Rosen(1977)

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Aux Cornichons. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013

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