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CM005
Mayo-Louti Forest Reserve
Location Cameroon, Far North Province
Central coordinates 13o 43.00' East  10o 43.00' North
IBA criteria A3
Area 6,000 ha
Altitude 730 - 900m
Year of IBA assessment 2001

Cameroon Biodiversity Conservation Society (Affiliate)



Ornithological information See Box and Table 3 for key species. The area has only been briefly surveyed and, to date, 147 species have been recorded. The site lies at the northern edge of the Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome in Cameroon (and Grafisia torquata appears to reach the northern limit of its range here). Some large raptor species breed in the reserve, including Aquila rapax. Rhinoptilus chalcopterus occurs and probably breeds.

Site description Mayo-Louti Forest Reserve lies about 10 km west of the town of Mokolo and east of the Mandara mountains in the north-west of the country, near the border with Nigeria. The area is relatively flat and is crossed by three main rivers which run south–north through the reserve. The northern edge of the triangular-shaped reserve is bounded by the road between Mokolo and the village of Rumsiki, while the western and eastern borders are formed, respectively, by the Mayo-Louti and Mayo-Wanday rivers. The vegetation is dry savanna woodland with Isoberlinia, Piliostigma, Crossopteryx and Cussonia spp. trees, together with some Khaya senegalensis in places along watercourses. The soil is sandy with many rocky outcrops.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Fox Kestrel Falco alopex resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Senegal Parrot Poicephalus senegalus resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Red-throated Bee-eater Merops bulocki resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Bearded Barbet Lybius dubius resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Yellow-billed Shrike Corvinella corvina resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Yellow Penduline-tit Anthoscopus parvulus resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Sun Lark Galerida modesta resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Senegal Eremomela Eremomela pusilla resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Purple Glossy-starling Lamprotornis purpureus resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Bronze-tailed Glossy-starling Lamprotornis chalcurus resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
White-collared Starling Grafisia torquata resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Gambaga Flycatcher Muscicapa gambagae breeding  2000  unknown [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver Plocepasser superciliosus resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Bush Petronia Petronia dentata resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Red-winged Pytilia Pytilia phoenicoptera resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Black-throated Firefinch Lagonosticta larvata resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Lavender Waxbill Estrilda caerulescens resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Black-rumped Waxbill Estrilda troglodytes resident  2000  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Mayo-Louti Forest Reserve 3,000 protected area contained by site 3,000  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial)   100%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
hunting -
nature conservation and research -
water management -
other -
Notes: Fuelwood collection.

Other biodiversity The mammal Gazella rufifrons (VU) used to be common, and still occurs.

Management considerations The site holds one of the last areas of Sudanian woodland in Cameroon north of Garoua. Although formally protected, the site is under severe human pressure. Surrounding villages rely heavily on the woodland for fuelwood-collection, a significant part of which is being sold to nearby Mokolo. Hunting pressure is high and the few remaining large mammals are under severe threat.

References Languy (2000).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Mayo-Louti Forest Reserve. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/06/2013

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