Current view: Text account
Site description (2003 baseline):
Site location and context
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).
Biome-restricted species: The site is not known to qualify under criterion A3 (Evans
et al. 2000).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The major threats to biodiversity at the IBA are hunting and incidental disturbance to nesting birds (Evans et al. 2000). Populations of many riverine species are believed to have declined along the southern Lao Mekong as a result of these factors (Evans et al. 2000). A potential future threat is hydropower development on the upper Mekong River or its tributaries, which could result in changes in flow patterns, with severe implications for riverine bird communities. Such development is planned for stretches of the Mekong River within Yunnan province, China (Duckworth et al. 2002).
The Phou Xiang Thong Protected Area is the only protected area in Laos include a stretch of the Mekong River. In the opposite of the Protected Area, in Thailand, along the western bank of the Mekong River, there is the Pha Taem National Park.
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.
