Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information Other significant assemblage of waterbird species are 2000 Pond Heron species, 600 Intermediate Egrets, 230 Pheasant-tailed Jacanas and 85 Black-winged Stilts. Many shorebird species also occur in the area such as Black-taile Godwit, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Asiatic Golden Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover etc.

Site description The IBA comprises an extensive area of wetlands between the Mekong and Bassac Rivers. The vegetation of the IBA is dominated by seasonally inundated shrub and savanna swamp, which is surrounded by agricultural land. During the wet season, the IBA is inundated, and is characterised by large areas of deep, open water, with substantial areas of emergent, floating and submerged aquatic vegetation. The IBA supports large numbers of commoner waterbirds, as well as small numbers of Darter Anhinga melanogaster, Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis and Asian Golden Weaver Ploceus hypoxanthus. In addition, the IBA regularly supports more than 1% of the Asian biogeographic population of Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus).

Populations of IBA trigger species

Habitats

Land use

Management considerations The inhabitants Prasat Tuyo fishing village depend on the natural resources of the IBA, and their activities are potentially a source of disturbance to waterbird populations. A more serious threat to biodiversity at the IBA is hunting of waterbirds, particularly the use of poison.

Conservation response Recommendations Enforcement activities should be initiated as soon as possible focusing on hunting of waterbirds and illegal fishing methods.

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 nameAkers, P. (2000). Bird surveys in Cambodia January-March 2000. Unpublished RSPB sabbatical report. Sandy, UK.Edwards, P.J. (1996) Cambodia wetlands ornithological survey. Xenus Ecology. Newmarket, UK.Edwards, P.J. (1996) Recent waterbird surveys in Cambodia. Forktail 15: 29-42.Goes, F. (1999) Les marais de la plaine des quatre bras. Cambodia Bird News 3: 44-51.Goes, F. and Davidson, P. (eds.) (2002) Recent Sightings. Cambodia Bird News 9: 47-59.Mundkur, T., Carr, P., Sun Hean and Chhim Somean 1995. Surveys for large waterbirds in Cambodia. March - April 1994. Cambridge, UK: IUCN/SSC.Scott, D.A. (1992). Survey of Cambodian wetlands 26 November to 5 December 1992. Unpublished report.