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close| Location | Antigua and Barbuda, Antigua |
| Central coordinates | 61o 52.40' West 17o 6.54' North |
| IBA criteria | A1, A4i |
| Area | 185 ha |
| Altitude | |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2007 |
Ornithological information This IBA is significant as a feeding area for the Vulnerable West Indian Whistling-duck Dendrocygna arborea, with up to 80 occurring. Globally significant counts of 400 Laughing Gulls Larus atricilla have been reported. Good numbers of shorebirds, herons and egrets occur along with up to 100 White-cheeked Pintail Anas bahamensis , and the three species of restricted-range hummingbirds.
Site description Hanson’s Bay – Flashes IBA is on the west coast of Antigua, just west of St John’s. More specifically it lies south-east of Five Island Village, and south-west of Gray’s Farm/Green Bay. The area comprises a complex wetland system (with salinas and mangroves) which forms the seaward outfall of the Body Ponds – Big Creek watershed (Antigua’s largest). The dense stand of mangroves (the largest mangrove woodland on Antigua) borders Hanson’s Bay, and this grades to salina and wet pasture (and bordering shrubland) on the landward side.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Indian Whistling-duck Dendrocygna arborea | resident | 2007 | 80 individuals | poor | A1 | Vulnerable |
| Laughing Gull Larus atricilla | resident | 2007 | 400 individuals | poor | A4i | Least Concern |
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands (inland) | major |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| not utilised | - |
Other biodiversity Nothing recorded.
Management considerations State owned, but totally unprotected. There are no conservation actions being undertaken at this site. Hunting is the largest threat to the birds within this IBA – the Bird Protection Law of 1913 permits an open season for hunting. Tourism related development on the shores at the mouth of the Flashes is very likely in the future, and it is possible that the garbage dump at Cook’s is affecting water quality in the Flashes.
Acknowledgements Authors: Joseph Prosper, Victor Joseph, Andrea Otto, Shanee Prosper (Environmental Awareness Group)
Further web sources of information
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: Hanson's Bay – Flashes. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013
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