KH038
Bassac Marsh


Country/territory: Cambodia

IBA criteria met: A1, A4i (2003)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here

Area: 52,316 ha

NatureLife Cambodia
IBA conservation status
Year of assessment (most recent) State (condition) Pressure (threat) Response (action)
2009 favourable very high negligible
For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here


Site description (2003 baseline)
The IBA comprises an extensive area of wetlands between the Mekong and Bassac Rivers. The vegetation of the IBA is dominated by seasonally inundated shrub and savanna swamp, which is surrounded by agricultural land. During the wet season, the IBA is inundated, and is characterised by large areas of deep, open water, with substantial areas of emergent, floating and submerged aquatic vegetation. The IBA supports large numbers of commoner waterbirds, as well as small numbers of Darter Anhinga melanogaster, Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis and Asian Golden Weaver Ploceus hypoxanthus. In addition, the IBA regularly supports more than 1% of the Asian biogeographic population of Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus).

Key biodiversity
Other significant assemblage of waterbird species are 2000 Pond Heron species, 600 Intermediate Egrets, 230 Pheasant-tailed Jacanas and 85 Black-winged Stilts. Many shorebird species also occur in the area such as Black-taile Godwit, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Asiatic Golden Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover etc.


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Bassac Marsh (Cambodia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/bassac-marsh-iba-cambodia on 23/11/2024.