Mirador

Visit the world-important protected area

The Pantanos de Villa natural area is part of the world-important wetlands system that provides feeding, breeding, roosting, and sheltering sites to the resident and migratory birds of America, who travel the many thousands of miles between North and South America, the upper Andes lagoons, and the Amazonia. The RAMSAR Convention acknowledged the zone as an Internationally Important Wetland for Waterfowl in January 20, 1997.

See a species list for the Pantanos de Villa
See our tours to the Pantanos de Villa and other bird-habitats in and near Lima
Book your tour or request further information

You also can call us at: (0051) (1) 94 10 42 06 or 94 10 42 17

 

Located in the city of Lima and surrounded by dwellings and factories, Pantanos de Villa represents an ecosystem that offers important environmental services, besides providing recreational and educational facilities for the local population.

The protected area provides several habitats, each for specific biodiversity. Flora is represented by 67 species of plants and characteristic associations that feed from nutrients in the substratum of the soil, which is rich in salts and organic material accumulated throughout the years.

Fish are an important link in the Pantanos de Villa’s ecosystem feeding chain because they provide sustenance to the many bird species therein
Two hundred and eight bird species have been reported, of which 70% are migratory. The most prevalent of these are great grebe (Podiceps major), pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), great egret (Ardea alba), black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), cinammon teal (Anas cyanoptera), white-cheeked pintail (Anas bahamensis), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), American coot (Fulica Americana), greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca), and killdeer (Charadrius vociferus), among many others.

The protected area includes several habitats with particular biodiversity:

1) Rush habitat: the most prevalent plants therein are rushes, which are fibrous, sturdy, and adequate for making baskets and mats. There are also fan palms and casuarines (introduced species).

2) Canal and drainage habitat: its most important purpose is to provide water to the lagoons that are suitable habitat for several species. The prevailing aquatic vegetation is the water lentil, an important plant in the diet of several species.

3) Grasses habitat: the largest zone has saline and sandy soils and minimal vegetation including sweet, salty, and rush grasses.

4) Bulrush habitat: the most important vegetation are bulrushes, which provide shelter and nesting space to many species.

There is also a desert area covered by shrubs (shrub pampa), of anthropogenic origin, which originated from introduced exotic shrubs and trees of a failed reforestation plan. Several bird species, including Peruvian thick-knees (Burhinus superciliaris), black vultures (Coragyps atratus), and burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia), use this as a nesting and roosting area.