Estuario de Virrilá

Paisaje del Estuario de Virrila
Flamencos en el estuario de Virrilá.
Flamencos del Estuario de Virrilá. Piura.
Playerito Calidris mauri en el Estuario de Virrilá.

Estuario de Virrilá

  • Country: 
    Peru
  • Site number: 
    2455
  • Area: 
    5,643.8 ha
  • Designation date: 
    21-06-2021
  • Coordinates: 
    05°50'S 80°49'W
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Overview

The Site is a unique ecosystem formed of mangroves, intertidal marshes, extensive sandy beaches and shallow marine waters. It hosts threatened species such as the vulnerable Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) and longtail stingray (Hypanus longus), and endangered species such as the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the Peruvian tern (Sternula lorata). The estuary also provides shelter and food to a considerable diversity of species, including 132 species of birds such as the Franklin’s gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan), the Peruvian pelican (Pelecanus thagus) and the Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis). It is an important migration site for Nearctic birds with up to 30 species of migratory shorebirds whose life cycle in the southern hemisphere depends on key sites such as the estuary. Within this group of species, the site hosts the largest concentration in Peru of marbled godwit (Limosa fedoa), and an exceptional concentration of Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica). The Site also provides important ecosystem services for the local populations that depend on small-scale fisheries. It is also an area for recreation and ecotourism due to its unique landscape and high biodiversity. The main threats are overfishing and pollution from rubbish and solid waste as well as industrial effluents.

Administrative region: 
Piura

  • National legal designation: 
    • Área de Conservación Ambiental - Estuario de Virrilá
  • Last publication date: 
    06-08-2021