Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information Other regionally sinificant bird species: Woolly-necked Stork.

Site description The IBA comprises the estuary of the Taek Sap River, which flows into the Gulf of Thailand to the east of Ream National Park. At the mouth of the estuary is situated a large island, called Koh Thmei. The vegetation of the IBA is dominated by intertidal mudflats and coastal mangrove, with some stands of Nypa and areas of degraded Melaleuca forest on the landward side of the mangrove. The IBA is a non-breeding site for a number of large waterbirds, including Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus, Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala and Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis. Most significantly, the IBA is the most important known non-breeding site in Cambodia for Milky Stork Mycteria cinerea, which breeds at Prek Toal IBA, and most probably at an as yet undiscovered location in south-west Cambodia, quite possibly nearby (perhaps even within) this IBA.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Ream	National Park	14,676	protected area overlaps with site	3,100

Habitats

Land use

Other biodiversity Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin (Sousa chinensis) occurs around Koh Thmei and is data deficient.Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)

Management considerations One of the major threats to biodiversity at the IBA is habitat loss, particularly clearance of mangrove. In addition, hunting is a serious problem in the neighbouring Ream National Park, although the severity of this threat within the IBA has not been assessed.

Protection status Overlaps with Ream National Park

Conservation response Recommendations- Increase patrolling along the Prek Taek Sap within Ream National Park to control illegal cutting and clearance of mangrove.

Further web sources of information 

Site account from Directory of Important Bird Areas in Cambodia: key sites for conservation (Seng Kim Hout 2003)

References Document nameEdwards, P.J. (1996) Cambodia wetlands ornithological survey. Xenus Ecology. Newmarket, UK.Goes, F. (ed.) (1999) Recent Sightings. Cambodia Bird News 1: 20-23Goes, F. (ed.) (1999) Recent Sightings. Cambodia Bird News 3: 39-43Goes, F. Tan, S. and Ros, B. (1998) Preliminary bird survey for cluster of three National Parks in southern Cambodia. European Commission Support Program to the Environmental Sector in Cambodia (SPEC). Phnom PenhMundkur, T., Carr, P., Sun Hean and Chhim Somean 1995. Surveys for large waterbirds in Cambodia. March - April 1994. Cambridge, UK: IUCN/SSC.