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Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Lake Sonfon (5,180 ha) is situated in a remote area in the mountainous north-east of the country. The nearest large town is Kabala, 60 km to the north. The lake is surrounded by hills, the vegetation of which comprises open grassland and wooded savanna, with fringing forest and, in some places, farmbush. Several small streams flow into the lake and these provide the main source of water for local communities. The lake is a centre of traditional beliefs and ceremonies for the local people.
See Box and Table 3 for key species. A total of 105 species have so far been recorded from this poorly surveyed area. More species of the Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome than currently recorded are expected to occur; among those which are known to be present is
Coccycolius iris.
Non-bird biodiversity: Among mammals, Cephalophus niger (LR/nt), C. maxwelli (LR/nt) and Hexaprotodon liberiensis (VU) have all been recorded.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The lake has been proposed as a National Park, but no management plan exists for the area. The scenic landscape offers ecotourism potential. The main threats are deforestation around the lake for agriculture, high hunting pressure (especially in the surrounding forest patches), and gold mining in the vicinity of the lake (perhaps the greatest potential long-term threat to the lake’s ecology).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Sonfon and environs (Sierra Leone). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-sonfon-and-environs-iba-sierra-leone on 23/12/2024.
