Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
This complex is located 30 km north-east of Morombe, and comprises Lake Ihotry, the Mangoky river and delta, and associated riverine marshes near the Ankiliabo–Nosy Ambositra road. The lake is brackish and c.3 m deep. Its area varies seasonally, from 960 ha up to 11,200 ha, and it is only sparsely vegetated, with some reed
Phragmites, sedge
Cyperus and water-lily
Nymphaea. Mangrove, dominated by
Rhizophora and
Avicennia, occurs all along the delta coast, from Mangolovolo to Andranopasy. The marsh vegetation consists mainly of
Cyperus, reed-mace
Typha,
Typhonodorum,
Phragmites and
Nymphaea. Near the wetlands, on sandy soil, there is dry deciduous forest, dominated by Didiereaceae and Euphorbiaceae, as well as sub-arid spiny bushland, and savanna with occasional trees of
Tamarindus and
Zizyphus.
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. One hundred and six species are known from this site, of which 23 are endemic to Madagascar.
Amaurornis olivieri was found in the marsh of Nosy Ambositra in 1960, but has not been recorded since then. Lake Ihotry is an exceptional site for foraging and roosting waterbirds, notably during the northern winter. During the dry season, muddy areas attract large numbers of waders, and the site is also a dry-season refuge for waterbirds that use the seasonal wetlands between Morombe and Toliara. Significant numbers of
Phoenicopterus ruber and
Tachybaptus ruficollis have been observed, and also large numbers of other birds, such as
Anas erythrorhyncha and
Tringa nebularia.
Non-bird biodiversity: Lemurs: Lemur catta (VU), Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi (VU). Carnivore: Cryptoprocta ferox (VU).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Poaching, uncontrolled burning of grassland for pasture, and clearance for agriculture are severe threats. The latter two processes put the wetlands at risk of silting up. Mangrove trees are exploited for their bark (for tannin) and timber.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Ihotry - Mangoky Delta Complex NPA (Madagascar). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-ihotry--mangoky-delta-complex-npa-iba-madagascar on 23/12/2024.
