Current view: Text account
Site description (2003 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA comprises a c.300 km section of the Mekong channel upstream of Vientiane. The upper section (c.150 km), upstream of Ban Vang, is situated entirely within Lao P.D.R., while the lower section (c.160 km), between Ban Vang and Ban Thadua, forms the international border with Thailand; although parts of the Mekong channel within Thailand are not included within the IBA. The IBA contains a high proportion of mosaic stretches, where the Mekong channel, during the low-flow season, supports a variety of habitat types, including sand and gravel bars and islands, rock outcrops, bushland and braided streams. The IBA also contains significant stretches with open sandy islands. The bird communities of mosaic stretches are considered to be of the highest conservation value of all those along the upper Lao Mekong channel, and include species such as River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii, Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii and Jerdon's Bushchat Saxicola jerdoni. In addition, small numbers of Great Thick-knees Esacus recurvirostris persist in these stretches, although the remaining populations may not be viable in the long-term. The open sandy islands are important for Small Pratincole Glareola lactea, and the IBA is thought to support greater than 1% of the Asian biogeographic population of this species. Although no data are available for the uppermost section (c.80 km), north of Paklay town, from topographic maps, it seems to contain much channel mosaic habitat (Duckworth et al. 2002).
While the site does not quite meet the 1% threshold for River Lapwing, the species is still listed on the basis that the site is arguably of international importance for the conservation of this species.
Biome-restricted species: The site qualifies under criterion A3 because it supports one species restricted to the Indo-Gangetic Plains (Biome 12) (Duckworth
et al. 1997, 2002)
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mekong River from Luang Prabang to Vientiane (Laos). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mekong-river-from-luang-prabang-to-vientiane-iba-laos on 23/11/2024.
