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TG003
Fazao-Malfakassa National Park
Location Togo, Centrale
Central coordinates 0o 43.00' East  8o 40.00' North
IBA criteria A1, A3
Area 192,000 ha
Altitude 250 - 848m
Year of IBA assessment 2001





Ornithological information See Box and Table 2 for key species. The site is important on account of its large size and undisturbed habitat. It is one of the few places in the country where Bucorvus abyssinicus occurs and is a refuge for many of the rarer birds of prey (e.g. Hieraaetus dubius and Spizaetus africanus), as well as Guttera pucherani and Francolinus lathami. The area probably harbours many as yet unrecorded species, especially in the well-wooded valleys of the Kpaza and Koué rivers.

Site description Fazao-Malfakassa National Park is situated in the centre-west of the country, near, and at one point against, the international border with Ghana. The park holds the most extensive area of undisturbed vegetation in Togo. The terrain is rugged and includes the Monts de Malfakassa in the north and the Monts du Fazao in the centre with a precipitous cliff-face, the Falaise de Boulowou, along its western edge. It is the only National Park with such characteristics in West Africa. The habitat is varied and includes savanna woodland (Afzelia africana, Anogeisseus leiocarpus and Isoberlinia doka communities and Monotes kerstingii–Uapaca togoensis communities), good stands of gallery forest (Dialium guineensis, Antiaris africana, Berlinia grandiflora), submontane forest and grass-covered hilltops.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Forest Francolin Francolinus lathami resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Ahanta Francolin Francolinus ahantensis resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
White-crested Tiger-heron Tigriornis leucolopha resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Fox Kestrel Falco alopex resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Cassin's Hawk-eagle Aquila africanus resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Not Recognised 
Senegal Parrot Poicephalus senegalus resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Guinea Turaco Tauraco persa resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Violet Turaco Musophaga violacea resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Blue-bellied Roller Coracias cyanogaster resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Red-throated Bee-eater Merops bulocki resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
African Pied Hornbill Tockus fasciatus resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Piping Hornbill Bycanistes fistulator resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Yellow-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna elata resident  -  present [units unknown]  -  A1  Vulnerable 
Spotted Honeyguide Indicator maculatus resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Sooty Boubou Laniarius leucorhynchus resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Blue-headed Crested-flycatcher Trochocercus nitens resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Fanti Saw-wing Psalidoprocne obscura resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Swamp Greenbul Thescelocichla leucopleura resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Senegal Eremomela Eremomela pusilla resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
White-tailed Ant-thrush Neocossyphus poensis resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Dusky-blue Flycatcher Muscicapa comitata resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Splendid Sunbird Nectarinia coccinigaster resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Red-faced Pytilia Pytilia hypogrammica resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Black-bellied Firefinch Lagonosticta rara resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Fazao-Malfakassa National Park 192,000 is identical to site 192,000  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Shrubland   1%
Forest   97%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
nature conservation and research -

Other biodiversity Mammals of global conservation concern include Panthera leo (VU), Loxodonta africana (EN) and Cephalopus dorsalis (LR/nt). In addition, Pan troglodytes (EN) is reputed to occur.

Management considerations The park suffered from increased poaching after the political upheavals of the early 1990s. Other threats include illegal gold prospecting which damages riverine habitats (e.g. in the Loukoulou river), illegal honey-gathering and a plan to build a road through the park to Ghana. The F. Weber Convention signed an agreement with the Government of Togo in 1990 to manage the park and its hotel for 25 years.

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Fazao-Malfakassa National Park. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 21/05/2013

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