Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information See Box and Table 2 for key species. In addition, Circus macrourus has been recorded. The park is notable for large, conspicuous species such as Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis and Neotis denhami, both of which breed, and up to 60 Anastomus lamelligerus. The gallery forest provides the most northern patch of habitat in the country suitable for such species as Apaloderma narina and Hypergerus atriceps.

Site description Situated immediately south of Oti Faunal Reserve (IBA TG001) in the north of the country, Kéran National Park is composed principally of the flood-plain of the Koumongou river, a tributary of the Oti. The Koumongou is reduced to stagnant pools in the dry season but floods quickly during the rains. The main vegetation-types include wooded savanna dominated by Daniella oliveri and Butyrospermum paradoxum, good gallery forest beside the Koumongou and open, sparsely-vegetated, plains with some rocky ground. The site includes the Mare-aux-Lions, a small wetland area close to the Koumongou river which is attractive to birds and mammals. The main road north through Togo to Burkina Faso cuts across the northern part of the park.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Kéran	National Park	163,640	is identical to site	163,640
Parc national de la Keran	Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)	163,400	protected area contained by site	163,400

Habitats

Land use

Other biodiversity Mammals of global conservation concern include Loxodonta africana (EN).

Management considerations Although well protected until 1991, with guards enforcing regulations, including speed restrictions for vehicles travelling on the main road through the park, serious problems arose after the political upheavals that then took place. Indiscriminate hunting, uncontrolled land settlements and taking of firewood became widespread. It is not known how the birds have been affected but the larger species such as bustards will almost certainly have suffered, along with the larger mammals.

Contribute  Please click here to help BirdLife conserve the world's birds - your data for this IBA and others are vital for helping protect the environment.

Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Kéran National Park. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013

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