Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
The site lies at the mouth of the Kalissaye river in south-western Senegal (Casamance region) and consists of two sandy islands lying off the Pointe de Sankoye. It lies about 35 km north-west of Parc National de Basse Casamance (site SN014). The strong currents in the estuary modify the mobile sand substrate, changing the shape and size of the islands continually. The vegetation on the islands is characterized by littoral sand-loving species such as
Ipomoea pes-caprae,
Sporobolus spicatus and
Alternanthera maritima. The site was established as a reserve and sanctuary to protect breeding seabirds and sea-turtles.
The reserve is a home to 73 bird species, including 10,000 pairs of breeding
Sterna caspia and thousands of breeding
Pelecanus Onocrotalus. Other species ornithological diversity include
Sterna maxima,
S. nilotica,
Larus genei,
L. cirrocephalus and
Pandion haliaetus.
Non-bird biodiversity: Two species of sea-turtle,
Chelonia mydas (EN) and
Caretta caretta (EN), are recorded breeding and the mammal
Trichechus senegalensis (VU) is reported from the site.
The Kalissaye Avifaunal Reserve is mainly composed by terrestrail, aquatic and mairne areas. The micro-habitats include waterbody, mangrove, marshland, wooded islands, mudflat, palmelais, beach, etc.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Concern has been expressed about the erosion by ocean currents of a sandbar and the islands on which the pelican colony and other species breed. Conflict and unrest which has occurred in the Casamance region in recent years has resulted in the cessation of any counts of breeding birds or monitoring of the conservation status of the reserve, which was closed in 1992 as a result of these problems.
Since its designation as a Reserve in 1978, ROK is managed by the Direction National des Parcs (DPN). The islands inside the sreserve are occupied by families who depend their entire life on the resources of the reserve.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kalissaye Avifaunal Reserve (Senegal). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kalissaye-avifaunal-reserve-iba-senegal on 23/12/2024.
