• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (2001 baseline)
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.

Key biodiversity
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.

Non-bird 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.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Fazao-Malfakassa National Park (Togo). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/fazao-malfakassa-national-park-iba-togo on 25/11/2024.