Inagua National Park
Established: 1965
Size (acres): 183,740
Location: Great Inagua
Inagua National Park is internationally renowned as the site of the world's largest breeding colony of West Indian flamingos. Today the population numbers approximately 50,000 birds after having made a 40 year journey back from the edge of extinction.
As early as 1905, concern for the West Indian Flamingo in the Caribbean was intense. The hunting of flamingos coupled with disturbances of the bird's habitat led to a drastic decline in the population. With the creation of the Bahamas National Trust and the effective management of its habitat, the flamingo population is now vibrant and thriving. The success of the Inagua National Park is evident in the repopulating of other islands in The Bahamas - Andros, Crooked Island and Acklins Island - as well as Cuba, Turks and Caicos Islands and Grand Cayman.
The flamingo is not the only star of Inagua National Park. The native Bahama Parrot, the endemic Bahama woodstar hummingbird, Bahama pintails, Brown pelicans, Tri-colored herons, Snowy egrets, Reddish egrets, Stripe-headed tanangers, Cormorants, Roseate spoonbills, American kestrels, and Burrowing owls abound in the Park's interior. Wild Donkeys trot amongst the mangroves, freshwater terrapins inhabit the ponds, and natural bonsai forests grace its interior.
In 1997, the Inagua National Park was designated a Wetland of International Importance, as The Bahamas became a signatory to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. Inagua National Park is a birders paradise qualifying it as an Important Bird Area based on Birdlife International's criteria.
What's protected . . .
- Wetland habitat
- A haven for the West Indian flamingo, the Bahama parrot and other wildlife
- Lake Rosa, the largest lake in The Bahamas
Partner and project links
