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close| Location | Mali, Mopti |
| Central coordinates | 4o 32.00' West 14o 12.00' North |
| IBA criteria | A4i, A4iii |
| Area | 8,000 ha |
| Altitude | 269 m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2001 |
Ornithological information See Box for key species. This site holds a major heron breeding colony which, in 1986, consisted of 15,191 pairs of seven species. Thus, the total number of birds at the site during the breeding season is in excess of 30,000 individuals. The site is also likely to be used by significant numbers of Palearctic migrant waterbirds, but there is no information.
Site description Kouakourou is situated in the southern part of the Inner Delta of the Niger, approximately 50 km south-west of Mopti. The site includes a seasonally flooded woodland of Acacia and Zizyphus spp., surrounded by seasonally flooded areas of mixed agricultural land and pasture. The site is defined as a circle of 10 km diameter centred on the middle of the woodland.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis | breeding | 1986 | 12,500 breeding pairs | - | A4i | Least Concern |
| Great Egret Casmerodius albus | breeding | 1986 | 290 breeding pairs | - | A4i | Least Concern |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | breeding | 1986 | - | unknown | A4iii |
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) | 94% | |
| Wetlands (inland) | 5% |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| agriculture | - |
| other | - |
| Notes: Firewood collection. | |
Other biodiversity None known to BirdLife International.
Management considerations The purpose of including an area surrounding the core woodland is to provide a buffer zone to prevent excessive disturbance and to allow for the further regeneration of woodland. The birds breeding at the site use a larger area of up to 30 km radius to feed, but much of this is agricultural land which does not require protection or any particular management for conservation. As with other woodland sites within the Sahelian region of Mali, this site is threatened by clearance for fuelwood, overgrazing by goats and by clearance for rice cultivation. The importance of the site as a breeding colony also depends upon the annual flood continuing to reach the woodland.
Related state of the world's birds case studies
References Skinner et al. (1987).
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Kouakourou. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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