Site description (2001 baseline)
This site lies on the coast between the towns of Buchanan to the north-west and Greenville to the south-east and stretches inland northwards from the coast for some 70 km. It includes part of the lower reaches of the scenic Cestos and Senkwen rivers, as well as the estuary of the latter, with 1,200 ha of mangroves. The proposed park thus embraces evergreen lowland rainforest, mangroves and undisturbed coastal vegetation including some of the last examples of littoral forest in West Africa. The area is low-lying with scattered hills.
Key biodiversity
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. In addition to those listed below, it is probable that Scotopelia ussheri will be found to occur in the mangroves and riparian forest.
Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals include Hexaprotodon liberiensis (VU), Pan troglodytes (EN), Cercocebus torquatus (LR/nt), Piliocolobus badius (LR/nt), Colobus polykomos (LR/nt), Cercopithecus diana (VU), Cephalophus jentinki (VU), C. zebra (VU), C. sylvicultor (LR/nt), C. maxwelli (LR/nt). C. dorsalis (LR/nt), Tragelaphus euryceros (LR/nt), Syncerus caffer (LR/cd) and Hyemoschus aquaticus (DD). The local population of elephant Loxodonta africana (EN) has apparently been extirpated.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Cestos - Senkwen (Liberia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/cestos--senkwen-iba-liberia on 22/12/2024.