LR005
Lake Piso (Cape Mount)


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 List1 Season Year(s) Size IBA criteria
Blue-headed Wood-dove Turtur brehmeri LC resident 1997 present A3
Black-throated Coucal Centropus leucogaster LC resident 1997 present A3
Yellow-billed Turaco Tauraco macrorhynchus LC resident 1997 present A3
White-crested Tiger-heron Tigriornis leucolopha LC resident 1997 present A3
Black Tern Chlidonias niger LC winter 1986 3,900 birds A4i
Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus LC non-breeding 1986 500 birds A4i
Red-legged Sparrowhawk Accipiter erythropus LC resident 1997 present A3
Western Piping Hornbill Bycanistes fistulator LC resident 1997 present A3
Black Bee-eater Merops gularis LC resident 1997 present A3
Western Yellow-spotted Barbet Buccanodon dowsetti LC resident 1997 present A3
Speckled Tinkerbird Pogoniulus scolopaceus LC resident 1997 present A3
Red-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus atroflavus LC resident 1997 present A3
Yellow-throated Tinkerbird Pogoniulus subsulphureus LC resident 1997 present A3
Hairy-breasted Barbet Tricholaema hirsuta LC resident 1997 present A3
Buff-spotted Woodpecker Pardipicus nivosus LC resident 1997 present A3
Melancholy Woodpecker Dendropicos lugubris LC resident 1997 present A3
Western Black-headed Oriole Oriolus brachyrynchus LC resident 1997 present A3
African Shrike-flycatcher Megabyas flammulatus LC resident 1997 present A3
Red-cheeked Wattle-eye Dyaphorophyia blissetti LC resident 1997 present A3
West African Wattle-eye Dyaphorophyia hormophora LC resident 1997 present A3
Lowland Sooty Boubou Laniarius leucorhynchus LC resident 1997 present A3
Red-bellied Paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone rufiventer LC resident 1997 present A3
Western Nicator Nicator chloris LC resident 1997 present A3
Green Crombec Sylvietta virens LC resident 1997 present A3
Kemp's Longbill Macrosphenus kempi LC resident 1997 present A3
Grey Longbill Macrosphenus concolor LC resident 1997 present A3
Olive-green Camaroptera Camaroptera chloronota LC resident 1997 present A3
Swamp Palm Bulbul Thescelocichla leucopleura LC resident 1997 present A3
Simple Greenbul Chlorocichla simplex LC resident 1997 present A3
Plain Greenbul Eurillas curvirostris LC resident 1997 present A3
White-throated Greenbul Phyllastrephus albigularis LC resident 1997 present A3
Icterine Greenbul Phyllastrephus icterinus LC resident 1997 present A3
Green Hylia Hylia prasina LC resident 1997 present A3
Brown Illadopsis Illadopsis fulvescens LC resident 1997 present A3
Grey-hooded Capuchin Babbler Phyllanthus atripennis VU resident 1997 present A3
Copper-tailed Starling Hylopsar cupreocauda NT resident 1997 present A3
White-tailed Ant-thrush Neocossyphus poensis LC resident 1997 present A3
Cassin's Flycatcher Muscicapa cassini LC resident 1997 present A3
Blue-shouldered Robin-chat Cossypha cyanocampter LC resident 1997 present A3
Fraser's Sunbird Deleornis fraseri LC resident 1997 present A3
Mouse-brown Sunbird Anthreptes gabonicus LC resident 1997 present A3
Yellow-chinned Sunbird Anthreptes rectirostris LC resident 1997 present A3
Reichenbach's Sunbird Anabathmis reichenbachii LC resident 1997 present A3
Blue-throated Brown Sunbird Cyanomitra cyanolaema LC resident 1997 present A3
Buff-throated Sunbird Chalcomitra adelberti LC resident 1997 present A3
Carmelite Sunbird Chalcomitra fuliginosa LC resident 1997 present A3
Superb Sunbird Cinnyris superbus LC resident 1997 present A3
Orange Weaver Ploceus aurantius LC resident 1997 present A3
Chestnut-and-black Weaver Ploceus castaneofuscus LC resident 1997 present A3
Red-vented Malimbe Malimbus scutatus LC resident 1997 present A3
Blue-billed Malimbe Malimbus nitens LC resident 1997 present A3
Crimson Seedcracker Pyrenestes sanguineus LC resident 1997 present A3
Chestnut-breasted Nigrita Nigrita bicolor LC resident 1997 present A3

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2001) may differ.


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 (2019) is shown below.

IBA conservation assessment
Year of assessment State Pressure Response
2019 very poor high medium
Whole site assessed? State assessed by Accuracy of information
no population medium

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species Actual vs Reference Units % remaining Result
Black Tern Chlidonias niger 5 / 3,900 mature individuals 1 very poor

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat Timing Scope Severity Result
Biological resource use now most of population/area (50-90%) moderate decline (10-30% over 3 gener­ations) high
Residential and commercial development now some of population/area (10-49%) slow decline (1-10% over 3 gener­ations) medium
Transportation and service corridors now some of population/area (10-49%) slow decline (1-10% over 3 gener­ations) medium
Pollution now some of population/area (10-49%) slow decline (1-10% over 3 gener­ations) medium
Human intrusions and disturbance likely in short term (<4 years) some of population/area (10-49%) moderate decline (10-30% over 3 gener­ations) medium
Agricultural expansion and intensification past (and unlikely to return) and no longer limiting 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

IBA Protection

Year Protected Area Designation % overlap with IBA
- Cape Mount Nature Conservation Unit 100
2003 Lake Piso Multiple Sustainable Use Reserve Multiple Sustainable Use Reserve 96
2003 Lake Piso Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance 100

Local Conservation Groups

The Local Conservation Group(s) listed below are working to conserve this IBA.

Name Year formed
Piso Conservation Forum 2006
For more information on BirdLife's work with Local Conservation Groups, please visit Spotlight on local empowerment.

Habitats

Habitat % of IBA Habitat detail
Unknown 31
Marine Coastal/Supratidal 30
Forest 22 Lowland forest - undifferentiated; Mangrove
Artificial/Terrestrial 15
Marine Intertidal minor (<10)

Land use

Land use % of IBA
forestry -
other -


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Piso (Cape Mount) (Liberia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-piso-(cape-mount)-iba-liberia on 03/12/2024.