Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Akanda is situated 30 km north-east of Libreville and consists of two islands barely separated from the mainland by the Mamboumbé and Moka creeks and the Ntsini river, which forms the southern boundary of the site. The site borders Corisco Bay to the north and Mondah Bay to the east. Vegetation includes some dry forests on higher ground, dominated by
Aucoumea klaineana,
Klainedoxa gabonensis,
Sacoglottis gabonensis,
Librevillea klainei,
Hannoa klaineana,
Dacryodes buettneri and
Pycnanthus angolensis. Lower down, this merges into coastal forest, typified by smaller trees such as
Syzygium guineense,
Cassipourea sp.,
Chrysobalanus icaco, and
Manilkara lacera. Some flat, sandy areas are highly saline and lack vegetation. Large areas of
Rhizophora and
Avicennia mangroves line the creeks and the coast. At low tide vast areas of mudflat are exposed in Corisco and Mondah Bays, the rivers being confined to narrow channels.
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. A preliminary list for site totals 152 species, of which half are migrants. Three species of global conservation concern occur, of which
Phoenicopterus minor is merely an irregular and uncommon visitor.
Sterna balaenarum is a common non-breeding visitor between June and November.
Ploceus subpersonatus, also a restricted-range species, breeds in small colonies in the palm
Phoenix reclinata. Although relatively few Guinea–Congo Forests biome species occur, they include some which are rare elsewhere, such as
Campephaga petiti and
Nectarinia fuliginosa. The mangrove shelters some typical specialist species such as
Anthreptes gabonicus,
Laniarius bicolor, and
Apalis flavida. At high tide, waders and terns roost on a sandbank at the mouth of the Moka river. A 1992 survey estimated 34,000–38,000 waders in Corisco Bay, the highest concentration in the country and included species rare in this part of Africa, such as
Charadrius mongolus,
Charadrius leschenaultii,
Charadrius asiaticus and
Haematopus ostralegus.
Non-bird biodiversity: The primate Cercocebus torquatus (LR/nt) has been recorded.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The site has been proposed as a Nature Reserve. The creeks and the bays are important for fishing, and a permanent camp of immigrant Nigerian fisherman has been established within the site. There is some small-scale cutting of mangroves for smoking fish. Akanda should be considered for designation as a Ramsar Site.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Akanda (Gabon). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/akanda-iba-gabon on 22/11/2024.
