GH033
Keta Lagoon Ramsar Site


IBA Justification

The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2001 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:
Species Red List Season (year/s of estimate) Size IBA criteria
White-faced Whistling-duck Dendrocygna viduata LC non-breeding (2000) 53,050 birds A4i
Fulvous Whistling-duck Dendrocygna bicolor LC non-breeding (2000) 7,200 birds A4i
Great White Egret Ardea alba LC non-breeding (2000) 1,650 birds A4i
Little Egret Egretta garzetta LC non-breeding (2000) 7,200 birds A4i
Western Reef-egret Egretta gularis LC non-breeding (2000) 1,400 birds A4i
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta LC winter (2000) 1,560 birds A4i
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus LC non-breeding (2000) 12,100 birds A4i
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula LC winter (2000) 5,950 birds A4i
Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius LC non-breeding (2000) 1,800 birds A4i
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea VU winter (2000) 28,800 birds A4i
Little Stint Calidris minuta LC winter (2000) 18,400 birds A4i
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus LC winter (2000) 12,600 birds A4i
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia LC winter (2000) 6,900 birds A4i
Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis LC winter (2000) 1,750 birds A4i
Little Tern Sternula albifrons LC winter (2000) 1,000 birds A4i
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia LC non-breeding (2000) 440 birds A4i
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida LC winter (2000) 1,000 birds A4i
Black Tern Chlidonias niger LC winter (2000) 3,350 birds A4i
Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica LC winter (2000) 450 birds A4i
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis LC winter (2000) 1,900 birds A4i
Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus LC non-breeding (2000) 1,270 birds A4i
A4iii Species group - waterbirds n/a non-breeding (2008) 100,000-499,999 birds A4iii

IBA Conservation

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2001. The most recent assessment (2022) is shown below.

IBA conservation assessment
Year of assessment State Pressure Response
2022 not assessed very high medium
Whole site assessed? State assessed by Accuracy of information
yes unset good

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat Timing Scope Severity Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification happe­ning now whole of popul­ation/area (>90%) rapid decline (>30% over 3 gener­ations) very high
Human intrusions and disturbance happe­ning now some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations) medium
Pollution happe­ning now some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations) medium
Residential and commercial development likely in long term (>4 years) some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations) medium
Transportation and service corridors happe­ning now few indivi­duals/small area (<10%) slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations) low
Biological resource use happe­ning now few indivi­duals/small area (<10%) no or slight decline (<1% over 3 gener­ations) low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation Planning Action Result
Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not compre­hensive Some limited conservation initiatives are in place medium

Land use

Land use % of IBA
agriculture -
fisheries/aquaculture -
nature conservation and research -
urban/industrial/transport -
other -


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Keta Lagoon Ramsar Site (Ghana). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/keta-lagoon-ramsar-site-iba-ghana on 27/12/2024.