• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (2003 baseline)
The IBA comprises the section of the Mekong channel from Phou Xiang Thong National Protected Area to Siphandon IBA (LA022). The upper section (c.90 km) forms the western boundary of Phou Xiang Thong National Protected Area and the international border with Thailand. This section comprises wide stretches with earth banks and narrow stretches with rocky banks, and contains a few rocky islands (Evans et al. 2000). The lower section (c.130 km), which lies entirely within Lao P.D.R., is one of the widest sections of the Mekong River in the country. Although there is probably no natural riverine vegetation left along this section, there are many seasonally flooded sandbars, low vegetated islands and rocky islets (Thewlis et al. 1998). Some islands have very large sandy beaches or bars up to 10 km long (Evans et al. 2000). The upper section of the IBA supports small numbers of Small Pratincoles Glareola lactea, moderate numbers of River Lapwings Vanellus duvaucelii and high numbers of Wire-tailed Swallows Hirundo smithii (Evans et al. 2000). The lower section, which has a high proportion of sandbars, supports large numbers of Small Pratincoles, and smaller numbers of other sandbar-nesting birds, including River Lapwings, River Terns Sterna aurantia and the last known nesting Little Terns S. albifrons in Lao P.D.R. The recently described Mekong Wagtail Motacilla samveasnae has been confirmed to occur in the lower section of the IBA, and provisionally recorded in the upper section (Duckworth et al. 2001).

Key biodiversity
Biome-restricted species: The site is not known to qualify under criterion A3 (Evans et al. 2000).

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mekong River from Phou Xiang Thong to Siphandon (Laos). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mekong-river-from-phou-xiang-thong-to-siphandon-iba-laos on 23/12/2024.