Data Zone
Country/territory: Suriname
IBA criteria met: A1, A3, A4i (2008)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 1,683,697 ha
Site description (2008 baseline)
Kabalebo/Arapahu IBA is situated in between CSNR and the Corantijn river, the border with Guyana. Almost the whole watershed of the Kabalebo river is in the IBA. It is covered with pristine rainforest on terra firma, swamp and liana forest. In the north-west there is fishing and hunting by local indiginous people from Apoera. There is ecotourism near the Kabalebo airstrip and on Arapahu, an island in the south-west corner of the IBA. It is important for the Green Ibis. There has been done very little scientific research.
Key biodiversity
Two near-threathened species occur in the IBA, Morphnus guianensis Crested Eagle, and Harpia harpyja Harpy Eagle. The total number of species is 500 of which 27 are biome restricted. The total number of species is so low because there has been done very little research. The population of Green Ibises has been estimated at more than 4000, this is more than 5 times the 1% threshold. Hence it is an IBA on A1, A4i and A3 criteria.
Non-bird biodiversity: Not known.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kabalebo / Arapahu (Suriname). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kabalebo--arapahu-iba-suriname on 22/11/2024.