Data Zone
Country/territory: Laos
IBA Criteria met: A3 (2003)
For more information about IBA criteria please click here
Area: 184,520 ha
Protection status:
| Most recent IBA monitoring assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | Threat score (pressure) | Condition score (state) | Action score (response) |
| 2008 | medium | unfavourable | medium |
| For more information about IBA monitoring please click here | |||
Site description
The IBA is situated inside Nam Ha Protected Area, in northern Lao P.D.R. The IBA lies along a mountainous ridge, between 1,000 and 2,094 m asl, that runs south-west from the international border with China. The natural vegetation of the IBA is dry evergreen forest with upper montane forest at higher elevations. Large areas of forest have, however, been cleared for shifting cultivation and now support Imperata grassland. Most of the remaining areas of forest have been disturbed, although there are some remnant patches of relatively undisturbed forest at high elevations. The IBA supports a rich montane avifauna, and was selected on the basis that it supports a significant number of biome-restricted bird species, including some that are not known to occur at any other IBA in Lao P.D.R., such as White-bellied Redstart Hodgsonius phaenicuroides, Crested Finchbill Spizixos canifrons and White-necked Laughingthrush Garrulax strepitans.
Key biodiversity
The IBA is qualified under Biome-restricted assemblages (A3). The IBA supports many species of A3 of which some occur in less than three IBAs or only in this IBA. Nam Ha Northern Highlands IBA is not known to support any key bird species (Tizard et al. 1997).
Non-bird biodiversity: Tizard et al. (1997) observed Assamese Macaque Macaca assamensis. In addition, Slow Loris Nycticebus coucang, Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta and Stump-tailed Macaque M. arctoides were reported but not confirmed.Tizard et al. (1997) confirmed that one ungulate species in the IBA: Gaur Bos gaurus occuring in the IBA, but the abundance uncertain.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2019) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Nam Ha. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 17/02/2019.
