Current view: Text account
Site description (2004 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA comprises Hat Nooparat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, which is situated off the west coast of peninsular Thailand. The majority of the site consists of a 32,600 ha marine component, although it also includes the Ko Phi Phi archipelago and the rocky mainland coast around Krabi town. The islands of the Ko Phi Phi archipelago comprise limestone extrusions with tall cliffs, fringed by sandy beaches and surrounded by coral reefs. Small areas of primary forest remain on the steeper, less accessible island slopes. There is a significant human population within the national park.
Hat Nooparat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park is a very important non-breeding site for the globally critical Christmas Island Frigatebird Fregata andrewsi, which is not known to regularly occur in significant numbers at any other site in the country. The site regularly supports significant numbers of a number of other seabird species, including Lesser Frigatebird F. ariel, Common Tern Sterna hirundo, Black-naped Tern S. sumatrana and Bridled Tern S. anaethetus. In addition, the globally vulnerable Pale-capped Pigeon Columba punicea occurs at the site, as does the globally near-threatened Nicobar Pigeon Caloenas nicobarica. Furthermore, the site supports an important breeding population of the nationally threatened Pied Imperial Pigeon Ducula bicolor.
Non-bird biodiversity: Fish
Freshwater Sawfish Pristis microdon (CR)
Plants
Shorea roxburghii (EN)
Aglaia chittagonga (VU)
The IBA comprises Hat Nooparat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, which is situated off the west coast of peninsular Thailand. The majority of the site consists of a 32,600 ha marine component, although it also includes the Ko Phi Phi archipelago and the rocky mainland coast around Krabi town. The islands of the Ko Phi Phi archipelago comprise limestone extrusions with tall cliffs, fringed by sandy beaches and surrounded by coral reefs. Small areas of primary forest remain on the steeper, less accessible island slopes. There is a significant human population within the national park.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Unsustainable tourism development is the main threat to biodiversity at the site. The site is extremely popular with tourists, and the natural habitats and wildlife populations at the site are threatened by the development of tourism infrastructure, disturbance and pollution. Over-fishing is an additional threat to the marine ecosystem at the site.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Hat Nopharat Thara - Mu Ko Phi Phi (Thailand). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/hat-nopharat-thara--mu-ko-phi-phi-iba-thailand on 23/12/2024.
