Current view: Text account
Site description (2002 baseline):
Site location and context
Bai Boi is a coastal site situated on the western coast of the Ca Mau peninsular. It comprises a series of abandoned aquacultural ponds, which are being re-colonised by mangrove, and extensive areas of accreting mudfluts with naturally regenerating mangrove. The site lies on either side of the mouth of the Lon river, in the mouth of which two islands (Con Trong and Con Ngoai) have been formed by the accretion of sediment. To the north of the site is the estuary of Bai Hap river, one of the largest rivers in Ca Mau province. Bai Boi is classed as coastal protection forest. The boundary is defined as the seaward edge of the mudflat, hence this boundary wil shift as the mudflat accretes. The official site area is 8,555 ha, but maps available on the site suggest an area of 5,525 ha. However, the exact extent of the site is difficult to determine due to the high accretion rates. The management authority is the provincial Forestry Protection Department (FPD).
During the BirdLife/IEBR survey, access to large areas of the site was not possible, and the low numbers of birds recorded are not likely to accurately reflect the numbers using the site.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Bai Boi Coastal Protection forest has the aim of preventing coastal erosion and protecting inland areas from flooding and other severe weather conditions. Based on the results of a project to identify key sites for conservation in the Mekong Delta, BirdLife and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR) recommended upgrading of Bai Boi coastal Protection Forest to nature reserve status. Bai Boi has been included on a draft list of protected areas currently being prepared by the Forest Protection Department (FPD) and the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute (FIPI). On this list Bai Boi has been incorporated with Dat Mui Nature Reserve, and a total area of the two sites is given as 10,000 ha.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Bai Boi (Vietnam). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/bai-boi-iba-vietnam on 23/12/2024.
