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MG045
Bezavona Classified Forest
Location Madagascar, Toamasina
Central coordinates 48o 58.00' East  16o 57.00' South
IBA criteria A1, A2, A3
Area 56,427 ha
Altitude 600 - 1,100m
Year of IBA assessment 2001

Asity Madagascar (Affiliate)



Ornithological information See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. Seventy-nine species are known from the site, of which 51 are endemic to Madagascar, including 11 members of the vanga (Vangidae) family.

Site description Bezavona Classified Forest is located 60 km north-west of Andilamena, at the extreme western limit of Madagascar’s eastern forests. The site comprises a chain of mountains, with peaks at Bezavona (1,050 m) and Berangompanihy (1,080 m), Bezavona being part of the Marovoalavo plateau. The hydrological network is dense and dominated by the Antsahaberoy river in the east and in the south, and by the Manantsatrana and Fatakanina rivers in the east. The main vegetation is low- and mid-altitude, dense, humid evergreen forest with a closed canopy (20–30 m high), dominated by trees of Oncostemum, Canarium, Sapotaceae and Erythroxylaceae, as well as by dry-forest species such as Capurodendron perrieri and Erythroxylum amplifolium. Tree-ferns Cyathea, palms and bamboo-lianas are abundant in the understorey. Secondary vegetation is dominated by traveller’s palm Ravenala madagascariensis.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Meller's Duck Anas melleri resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1, A2, A3  Endangered 
Madagascar Grebe Tachybaptus pelzelnii resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1  Vulnerable 
Madagascar Crested Ibis Lophotibis cristata resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1  Near Threatened 
Madagascar Pond-heron Ardeola idae breeding  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1  Endangered 
Henst's Goshawk Accipiter henstii resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1  Near Threatened 
Madagascar Flufftail Sarothrura insularis resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Madagascar Wood Rail Canirallus kioloides resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Madagascar Blue-pigeon Alectroenas madagascariensis resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Red-breasted Coua Coua serriana resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Red-fronted Coua Coua reynaudii resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Blue Coua Coua caerulea resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Short-legged Ground-roller Brachypteracias leptosomus resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1, A2, A3  Vulnerable 
Pitta-like Ground-roller Atelornis pittoides resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1, A3  Least Concern 
Velvet Asity Philepitta castanea resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Sunbird Asity Neodrepanis coruscans resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Bernier's Vanga Oriolia bernieri resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1, A2, A3  Vulnerable 
Pollen's Vanga Xenopirostris polleni resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1, A2, A3  Near Threatened 
Helmet Vanga Euryceros prevostii resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1, A2, A3  Vulnerable 
Nuthatch Vanga Hypositta corallirostris resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Dark Newtonia Newtonia amphichroa resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Ward's Flycatcher Pseudobias wardi resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1, A3  Least Concern 
Crossley's Babbler Mystacornis crossleyi resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
White-throated Oxylabes Oxylabes madagascariensis resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Spectacled Tetraka Bernieria zosterops resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Grey-crowned Tetraka Bernieria cinereiceps resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1, A2, A3  Near Threatened 
Madagascar Yellowbrow Crossleyia xanthophrys resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1, A2, A3  Near Threatened 
Rand's Warbler Randia pseudozosterops resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1, A3  Least Concern 
Wedge-tailed Jery Neomixis flavoviridis resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1, A2, A3  Near Threatened 
Forest Rock-thrush Monticola sharpei resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1, A2, A3  Least Concern 
Nelicourvi Weaver Ploceus nelicourvi resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Forest Fody Foudia omissa resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Bezavona Classified Forest 56,427 is identical to site 56,427  

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture -
forestry -
hunting -
nature conservation and research -
water management -
other -
Notes: Commercial collection of medicinal herbs.

Other biodiversity Lemurs: Eulemur rubriventer (VU), Varecia variegata variegata (EN), Indri indri (EN). Carnivore: Fossa fossana (VU).

Management considerations Threats to the site include forest clearance, which has already affected 5–10% of the forest area, wood-cutting, commercial collection of medicinal plants, fires, and the hunting of lemurs and birds.

References Projet COEFOR/CI SRF-DEF (1993).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Bezavona Classified Forest. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/05/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife