Current view: Text account
Site description (2004 baseline):
Site location and context
BirdLife International (1998) Proceedings of the Thailand IBA workshop, Bangkok, November 1998. Unpublished report.
Office of Environmental Policy and Planning (1999) Directory of internationally important wetlands in Thailand. Bangkok: Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment. (In Thai.)
Plathong, J. and Sitthirach, N. (1997) Traditional and current uses of mangrove forest in southern Thailand. Bangkok: Wetlands International-Thailand Programme
The site supports the globally threatened Wallace's Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus nanus, a species characteristic of lowland forest in the Sundaic region. There are also historical records of the globally vulnerable Blue-banded Kingfisher Alcedo euryzona and White-fronted Scops Owl Otus sagittatus from the site, from 1928 and 1965, respectively. The site supports a rich lowland avifauna, including 68 species restricted to the Sundaic Lowland Forests (Biome 14); most of the 32 globally near-threatened species confirmed to occur at the site are characteristic of this biome. Furthermore, the site supports several subspecies endemic to the Thai-Malay peninsula, including Green-tailed Sunbird Aethopyga nipalensis australis, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush Garrulax erythrocephalus peninsulae, Blue-winged Minla Minla cyanouroptera sordidior, Chestnut-crowned Warbler Seicerus castaniceps youngi and Blue-throated Barbet Megalaima asiatica chersonesus.
The site qualifies under criterion A3 because it supports 68 species restricted to the Sundaic Lowland Forests (Biome 14)
Non-bird biodiversity:
Mammals
Asian Elephant Elephas maximus (EN)
Lesser Great Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros turpis (EN)
Tiger Panthera tigris (EN)
Asian Golden Cat Catopuma temminckii (VU)
Dhole Cuon alpinus (VU)
East Asian Porcupine Hystrix brachyura (VU)
Bear Macaque Macaca arctoides (VU)
Sundaland Pig-tailed Macaque Macaca nemestrina (VU)
Clouded Leopard Neofelis nebulosa (VU)
Marbled Cat Pardofelis marmorata (VU)
Fishing Cat Prionailurus viverrinus (VU)
Reptiles
Spiny Turtle Heosemys spinosa (EN)
Amphibians
Supachai's Caecilian Ichthyophis supachaii (VU)
Plants
Anisoptera scaphula (CR)
Dipterocarpus baudii (CR)
Dipterocarpus gracilis (CR)
Dipterocarpus hasseltii (CR)
Hopea sangal (CR)
Parashorea stellata (CR)
Shorea foxworthyi (CR)
Shorea thorelii (CR)
Dipterocarpus alatus (EN)
Shorea gratissima (EN)
Vatica cinerea (EN)
Hopea griffithii (VU)
Hopea odorata (VU)
Merrillia caloxylon (VU)
Pterocarpus indicus (VU)
Vatica mangachapoi (EN)
BirdLife International (1998) Proceedings of the Thailand IBA workshop, Bangkok, November 1998. Unpublished report.
Office of Environmental Policy and Planning (1999) Directory of internationally important wetlands in Thailand. Bangkok: Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment. (In Thai.)
Plathong, J. and Sitthirach, N. (1997) Traditional and current uses of mangrove forest in southern Thailand. Bangkok: Wetlands International-Thailand Programme
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The main threats to biodiversity at the site include agricultural encroachment, hunting, illegal timber extraction and over-exploitation of non-timber forest products. Conflicting land-rights claims over certain parts of the site are another major conservation issue.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Khao Luang (Thailand). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/khao-luang-iba-thailand on 23/12/2024.
