Current view: Text account
Site description (2003 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA comprises the Ang Tropeang Thmor Sarus Crane Conservation Area. The IBA is centred on an artificial lake, located 70 km to the north-west of Tonle Sap Lake. During the Angkorian period, from the 10th to the 13th century AD, a major causeway was constructed through the area, which led to increased water accumulation to the north. In 1976, during Pol Pot's Democratic Kampuchea regime, forced labor was used to convert an 11 km stretch of this causeway into a dam and to build a 9 km dyke perpendicular to it. However, the planned irrigation reservoir was never completed. Consequently, during the dry season, only the south-eastern corner of the reservoir remains inundated, although, at the height of the wet season, over 80% of the IBA is inundated. Seasonally inundated areas support seasonally inundated grassland, the northern portion of which is inundated for a shorter period each year and has been extensively converted to wet rice agriculture. This land has, however, only been irregularly used for a number of years. In the extreme north of the IBA, the habitat grades into open deciduous dipterocarp forest.The IBA is the most important non-breeding site for Sarus Crane Grus antigone in Cambodia and regularly supports a significant proportion of the global population of the eastern subspecies G. a. sharpii. In addition to Sarus Crane, the IBA regularly supports over 1% of the Asian biogeographic population of Lesser Whistling-duck Dendrocygna javanica, Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotus, Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans and Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus. Furthermore, a large number of globally threatened and near-threatened species have been recorded at the IBA, including Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis (which probably breeds), White-shouldered Ibis Pseudibis davisoni and Greater Adjutant Leptoptilos dubius. Additionally the globally threatened Pallas's Fish Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus has been recorded at the site as a vagrant.
One Comb Duck recorded by Mundkur in March 1998 and 12 in June 1998. Sarus Cranes are only present in the dry season and leave the site to breeding areas elsewhere with the onset of rains in June. Also Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Brahminy Kite, Baya Weaver.
Non-bird biodiversity: The specific survey combined with all other sources recorded a total of 186 bird species at the site. Apart from the Globally Threatened Sarus Crane, a further eight Globally Threatened and six Globally Near Threatened bird species have been recorded. In addition, 28 bird species of regional conservation concern occur at the site. Elogated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) and Malayan Snail-eating Turtle (Malayemys subtrijuga) are collected by villagers from March-May and from June-July. Smooth-coated Otter, Common Palm Civet and Leopard Cat occur in that area as well but they are rare.[Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)]Malayan Box Turtle (Cuora ambionensis), Malayan Snail-eating Turtle (Malayemys subtrijuga), Elongated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata).Eld's Deer (Cervus eldii)
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Prior to the establishment of the Sarus Crane Conservation Area in February 2000, local people used to regularly hunt cranes using poison. In 1999, the main driving force behind this was a high demand from the wildlife trade in Thailand. Hunting of Sarus Cranes has now been largely curtailed through enforcement and awareness activities, although small-scale hunting of other species for food still occurs. Currently, the most significant threat is probably conversion of seasonally inundated grassland and open woodland to agriculture. A potential long-term threat may be the manipulation of water levels for irrigation downstream.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Recommendations: Current enforcement activities at Ang Trapeang Thmor focused on controlling illegal hunting should be continued.- A management plan that zones the reserve for different land uses, particularly delimiting rice cultivation areas, should be agreed on by all stakeholders as soon as possible and strictly enforced.- Community development programs should be initiated in villages inside and adjacent to the reserve, focusing on sustainable livelihoods. - A tourism plan should be developed looking at the potential impacts of mass tourism on the reserve and the potential benefits of good management practices for local communities.-Forest clearance and land encroachment in and around the site is a complex problem at the moment, therefore land tenure agreements are necessary to facilitate effective management of the reserve.
Ang Tropeang Thmor Sarus Crane Conservation Area
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ang Tropeang Thmor (Cambodia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ang-tropeang-thmor-iba-cambodia on 22/12/2024.
