Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information This IBA supports populations of nine (of the 11) Lesser Antilles EBA restricted-range birds. Within Antigua, some of these species (Bridled Quail-dove Geotrygon mystacea, Scaly-breasted Thrasher Margarops fuscus, Pearly-eyed Thrasher M. fuscatus and Antillean Euphonia Euphonia musica) are entirely confined to the Walling’s Forest and Christian Valley IBA (AG009) ecosystem. A significant population of the Near Threatened White-crowned Pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala also occurs.

Site description Walling’s Forest IBA is in south-west Antigua, in the volcanic Shekerly Mountains. The forest is on the north-west slopes of Signal Hill (Antigua’s second highest mountain). Boggy Peak (and Sage Hill) lies c.4 km to the west, beyond which is the Christian Valley IBA (AG009). The slopes of Signal Hill are traversed by contour drainage ditches so that all most run off feeds into Walling’s reservoir, created by a dam built in 1900 with a view to supplying neighbouring villages with potable water (something it no longer does). The IBA supports the largest and best remaining tract of moist evergreen forest on the island. A popular trail to the top of Signal Hill starts near the reservoir which is quite heavily used by tourists, and locals at weekends.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Wallings Woodlands	Wildlife Reserve	0	is identical to site	0

Habitats

Land use

Other biodiversity Seven species of bat occur including the Near Threatened insular single leaf bat Monophylus plethodon and Brazilian free-tailed bat Tadarida brasilensis.

Management considerations Walling’s Forest and reservoir are partially state owned. About 5 ha of Wallings was reforested in the early 1900s to protect the watershed. The Forestry Department (Ministry of Agriculture) offers some protection from logging for building and charcoal – the primary threat to this area. However, the draft Forestry Act (of the 1990s) which would enable formal protection to this area has not been enacted. Forestry Department maintain some areas, some trails and offer guided tours. A management plan has been written but not implemented. Forest conversion and disturbance for residential development, tourism (e.g. the recent construction of an aerial ropeway) and agriculture pose a real threat to the integrity of this ecosystem.

Acknowledgements Authors Joseph Prosper, Victor Joseph, Andrea Otto, Shanee Prosper (Environmental Awareness Group)

Further web sources of information 

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

References Bacon, PR., (1991);Bunce, L., (1993);Caribbean Conservation Association. (1991);Lindsay, k. and Horwith, B. (1997);MacPherson, J. (1973);Martin-Kaye, P., (1969);Martin-Kaye, P., (1959);Pregill, GKD et al.(1994);Raffaele, H., et al. (1998); Spencer, W (1981)

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Wallings Forest. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/05/2013

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