Current view: Text account
Site description (2004 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA comprises a c.160 km stretch of the Mekong channel, adjacent to IBA LA006 in Lao P.D.R. (Mekong Channel upstream of Vientiane). The stretch of the Mekong River within the site forms the international border with Lao P.D.R. The site supports a range of riverine habitats, including the Mekong mainstream and braided river channels, sand and shingle bars, exposed bedrock and vegetated islands, and is an outstanding example of this mosaic of riverine habitats, with some significant stretches of open sandy islands. The larger sandbanks are covered in Homonoia riparia scrub. On the Thai side of the international border, the river channel is public land but the riverbank is mostly privately owned.
The site is of high importance for the conservation of a suite of riverine species that are nationally threatened in Thailand, and are dependent on the mosaic of habitats represented along this stretch of the Mekong River. These species include Great Thick-knee Esacus recurvirostris, River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelli, Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii and Jerdon's Bushchat Saxicola jerdoni. The open sandy islands are an important breeding habitat for Small Pratincole Glareola lactea; of which the site is thought to support greater than 1% of the Asian biogeographic population.
The site qualifies under criterion A3 because it supports one species (Jerdon's Bushchat Saxicola jerdoni) restricted to the Indo-Gangetic Plains (Biome 12).
Non-bird biodiversity: Fish
Mekong Freshwater Stingray Dasyatis laosensis (EN)
Giant Freshwater Stingray Himantura chaophraya (EN)
Giant Catfish Pangasianodon gigas (EN)
Jullien's Golden Carp Probarbus jullieni (EN)
Laotian Shad Tenualosa thibaudeaui (EN)
The IBA comprises a c.160 km stretch of the Mekong channel, adjacent to IBA LA006 in Lao P.D.R. (Mekong Channel upstream of Vientiane). The stretch of the Mekong River within the site forms the international border with Lao P.D.R. The site supports a range of riverine habitats, including the Mekong mainstream and braided river channels, sand and shingle bars, exposed bedrock and vegetated islands, and is an outstanding example of this mosaic of riverine habitats, with some significant stretches of open sandy islands. The larger sandbanks are covered in Homonoia riparia scrub. On the Thai side of the international border, the river channel is public land but the riverbank is mostly privately owned.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The main threats to biodiversity at the site are rock-blasting along the upper Mekong mainstream (which will probably have impacts on flow regimes downstream), dredging of sand and gravel bars for construction materials, invasion of islands and bankside vegetation by Mimosa pigra, hunting (including egg collection of sandbar-nesting species) and incidental disturbance.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mekong Channel near Pakchom (Thailand). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mekong-channel-near-pakchom-iba-thailand on 23/11/2024.
