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.
Key biodiversity
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.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
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.
