Data Zone
Country/territory: Nigeria
IBA criteria met: A1, A2, A3 (2001)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 280,000 ha
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2019 | not assessed | very high | negligible |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2001 baseline)
Cross River National Park (CRNP) is a large area of lowland and submontane rainforest situated in south-east Nigeria along the border with Cameroon. The park is divided into two sections. The smaller area to the north-east, Okwangwo Division (NG010), is separated by about 50 km of disturbed forest from the larger Oban Division. Oban Division is contiguous with Korup National Park in Cameroon (CM019). The Cross river and its tributaries drain northern parts of Oban Division, while southern parts are drained by the Calabar, Kwa and Korup rivers. The terrain is rough and elevation rises from the river valleys to over 1,000 m in mountainous areas. Soils are ferralitic and sandy, and steadily become shallower with increasing elevation. Leaching and erosion are intense in exposed sites. The vegetation is lowland rainforest and characteristic tree species include Berlinia confusa, Coula edulis, Hannoa klaineana, Klainedoxa gabonensis, Khaya ivorensis and Lophira alata. In the less accessible areas the forest has had little interference, but elsewhere the vegetation has been much influenced by human activity. Exploitation has resulted in secondary regrowth and the establishment of plantations of oil-palm and rubber. The area has a rainy season of at least nine months (March–November) and receives over 3,500 mm annually.
Key biodiversity
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. This is one of the most ornithologically diverse sites in Nigeria. Over 350 bird species have been recorded in this still vastly underexplored park. It is one of only two Nigerian localities for Phyllastrephus xavieri. Other nationally uncommon species include Macheiramphus alcinus, Spizaetus africanus, Guttera pucherani, Canirallus oculeus, Cercococcyx olivinus, Apaloderma aequatoriale, Melichneutes robustus, Criniger chloronotus, Myioparus griseigularis and Malimbus racheliae.
Non-bird biodiversity: Floral diversity in Oban Division is extremely rich. A total of 1,303 flowering plants, 141 lichens and 56 moss species have so far been collected, some of which have restricted distributions, e.g. Biophytum zenkeri. Oban Division also has a rich mammalian fauna, including Loxodonta africana cyclotis (EN), Procolobus preussi (EN), Mandrillus leucophaeus (EN) and Cercopithecus sclateri (EN), a Nigerian endemic.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Cross River National Park (Oban Division) (Nigeria). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/cross-river-national-park-(oban-division)-iba-nigeria on 22/11/2024.