Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
The site lies due south of Ferlo North (site SN007) and almost due east of Dakar, separated from the eastern Senegal border with Mali by low hills, the northern outliers of the Bassari hills in the south-east of the country. It is almost contiguous with Ferlo North, separated only by the main road running west–east from Linguère to Matam (on the border with Mali). The altitude, relief, climate and vegetation are very similar to those described above for Ferlo North. However, because it lies further south, Ferlo South receives slightly higher rainfall. The soils tend to be ferruginous and there is more woodland and secondary grassland (especially towards the south of the site) than in Ferlo North.
See Box and Table 2 for key species. Ornis Consult comprehensively surveyed this site, together with Ferlo North (site SN007) for birds for the first time in January to March 1996. A total of 184 bird species are now recorded from the two reserves combined. The site is important for Palearctic migrants, especially raptors on passage or wintering.
Circus macrourus is fairly common wintering in the north down to 15°N and
Falco naumanni is reported as scarce to frequent in the area, though not specifically within the reserve. Within the Ferlo South site, the majority of the species restricted to the Sahel biome (A03), and recorded from Senegal, are found (although two of these,
Caprimulgus eximius and
Anthoscopus parvulus, are recorded in the joint list for both Ferlo North and South Avifaunal Reserves, so it is not clear that they have been observed strictly within the Ferlo South site) (see Table 2). Seven species of Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome (A04) have been recorded from the site (see Table 2).
Pelecanus onocrotalus was reported in 1989 in ‘the southern Ferlo’ in numbers which exceeded the IBA threshold for this species (1,450, Baillon pers. comm.). However, there is no permanent watercourse or standing water in the area and it is not clear whether this record was a single unusual occurrence (for example, following rainfall creating a temporary wetland).
Non-bird biodiversity: No specific details are available, but it is likely that the Sahelian species occurring in Ferlo North (site SN007) will also occur in the northern part of Ferlo South, although all these species have been heavily hunted and any remaining populations are likely to be small and threatened.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The integrated rural development initiative described under Ferlo North (site SN007) also covers this site and aims to protect and restore the Sahelian ecosystems and biodiversity within both Ferlo North and South reserves. Issues and threats in Ferlo South are similar to those in Ferlo North, although the problems of drought and overgrazing have been less severe (especially towards the south of the site) due to the higher rainfall and more abundant vegetation.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ferlo South (Senegal). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ferlo-south-iba-senegal on 23/11/2024.
