Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA is situated east of the Corantijn river in the north-west of Suriname. There are large grass-swamps, in some parts swaying swamps. There are swamp forests along the creeks and rivers in the IBA. There are important populations of Giant River Otters and Manatees. The south-west of the IBA is used for hunting and fishing by the local indiginous people from Apoera and Washabo. For this reason the Kaboeri creek has been left out of the proposal for the MUMA.
Two restricted range species occur in this IBA, Veniliornis sanguineus Blood-colored Woodpecker and Picumnus minutissimus Arrowhead Piculet. The total number of species is 302 of which 17 are biome restricted. Hence this a IBA on A2 and A3 criteria. Very little research has been done.
Non-bird biodiversity: This site is also habitat for the Black Spider monkey( Ateles paniscus paniscus),the Ara Macao and the Tamandua (Tamandua longicaudata longicaudata).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Poaching from Guyana. Legal and illegal catching of birds for pet trade.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Research on the Pteronura brasilensis, Giant river otter by N. Duplaix and M. Lingaard.
This site has no protected status but it is proposed as a MUMA in which two proposed nature reserves and two proposed forest reserves are situated. This new protected status maybe expected in the near future.
Owned by the state, indigenous people from Apura and Washabo have traditional rights for hunting and fishing.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: North-West Suriname (Suriname). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/north-west-suriname-iba-suriname on 23/12/2024.
