• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (2001 baseline)
Kankossa is a large permanent wetland situated in the valley of the Karokoro, a seasonal river that flows from just south of Kiffa to meet the Senegal river between Bakel and Kayes. The river is frequently blocked by sand deposits and is morphologically highly dynamic. The surface area of the permanent wetland is 1,500 ha, but the river fills up to 50 km north of Kankossa in years of high rainfall. The vegetation of Kankossa includes a dense Acacia nilotica woodland in the centre of the depression with Acacia seyal, Hyphaene thebaica, Combretum glutinosum, Ziziphus mauritiana and Piliostigma reticulatum on the banks. Nymphaea and Echinochloa spp. typify the aquatic vegetation, while the herbaceous layer includes Aristida mutabilis, Dactyloctenium aegyptium and Cenchrus biflorus. The banks of the wetland are lined with vegetable gardens, and livestock find a year-round supply of fodder and water. The catchment receives an average 200–250 mm of rain per year.

Key biodiversity
See Box for key species. Typical waterbird species include Anas querquedula, Anas acuta, Dendrocygna viduata, Dendrocygna bicolor, Plectropterus gambensis, Plegadis falcinellus and Philomachus pugnax.

Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kankossa (Mauritania). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kankossa-iba-mauritania on 27/12/2024.