Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Ambatovaky Special Reserve is located about 50 km west of the coastal town of Soanierana-Ivongo. Many streams drain eastwards through the site and create innumerable small valleys and ridges between occasional steep-sloped, sharp-peaked mountains. Two main rivers flow through the reserve, the Iampirano and the Sandrangato. The vegetation is mainly dense, low- and mid-altitude, humid evergreen forest, with sclerophyllous montane forest in the higher areas.
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. Ninety-two species are known from the site, of which 55 are endemic to Madagascar. This is the only site known for
Mesitornis variegata in the East Malagasy biome, and it is possible that this population is a separate taxon.
Non-bird biodiversity: Lemurs: Eulemur rubriventer (VU), Varecia variegata variegata (EN), Indri indri (EN), Propithecus diadema diadema (EN), Daubentonia madagascariensis (EN). Carnivores: Fossa fossana (VU), Cryptoprocta ferox (VU). Butterflies: Papilio mangoura (VU), Amauris nossima (VU).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Slash-and-burn cultivation (especially in the lowland eastern sector), widespread cattle-grazing and poaching are severe threats to the site. Over-collection of medicinal plants and wild honey is also a risk.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ambatovaky Special Reserve (Madagascar). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ambatovaky-special-reserve-iba-madagascar on 23/11/2024.
