Current view: Text account
Site description (2004 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA comprises Doi Phu Kha National Park, which adjoins Mae Jarim proposed national park (IBA TH010) to the south. The topography of the site comprises both steep mountains and gently rolling hills, and the site contains the headwaters of the Lam Nam Nan river. Mixed deciduous forest covers c.90% of the site, although, above 1,000 m asl, small pockets of hill evergreen forest are found. In addition, there are small amounts of dry evergreen forest (c.700 ha) and deciduous dipterocarp forest (c.900 ha) at the site. Notably, the site supports the largest palm forest in Thailand, covering c.428 ha. Some areas of forest have been converted to agriculture, with c.10,400 ha of the site comprising active and fallow shifting cultivation.
Doi Phu Kha National Park is the most important known site in Thailand for the conservation of the globally threatened Beautiful Nuthatch Sitta formosa. This montane forest species is very rare in Thailand, and is otherwise known only from an historical record at Mae Fang National Park (IBA TH005). The site also supports significant populations of other montane forest residents that are known from few other sites in Thailand, including Black-throated Tit Aegithalos concinnus, Red-faced Liocichla Liocichla phoenicea and Whiskered Yuhina Yuhina flavicollis. In addition, the site supports Jerdon's Bushchat Saxicola jerdoni, a species characteristic of the Indo-Gangetic Plains (Biome 12).
The site qualifies under criterion A3 because it supports 37 species restricted to the Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forests (Biome 08), six species restricted to the Indo-Malayan Tropical Dry Zone (Biome 11), and one species restricted to the Indo-Gangetic Plains (Biome 12).
Non-bird biodiversity:
Mammals
Southern Serow Capricornis sumatraensis (VU)
Assamese Macaque Macaca assamensis (VU)
Northern Pig-tailed Macaque Macaca leonina (VU)
Plants
Shorea roxburghii (EN)
The IBA comprises Doi Phu Kha National Park, which adjoins Mae Jarim proposed national park (IBA TH010) to the south. The topography of the site comprises both steep mountains and gently rolling hills, and the site contains the headwaters of the Lam Nam Nan river. Mixed deciduous forest covers c.90% of the site, although, above 1,000 m asl, small pockets of hill evergreen forest are found. In addition, there are small amounts of dry evergreen forest (c.700 ha) and deciduous dipterocarp forest (c.900 ha) at the site. Notably, the site supports the largest palm forest in Thailand, covering c.428 ha. Some areas of forest have been converted to agriculture, with c.10,400 ha of the site comprising active and fallow shifting cultivation.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The site is bordered by a major highway. Afforestation, forest encroachment, recreation and tourism are the major threats to biodiversity at the site.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Doi Phukha (Thailand). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/doi-phukha-iba-thailand on 22/11/2024.
