Data Zone
Country/territory: Nigeria
IBA criteria met: A1, A3 (2001)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 12,400 hectares (124.00 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2019 | very poor | medium | high |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2001 baseline)
Okomu National Park, previously the Okomu Wildlife Sanctuary, is a forest block set within the 1,082 km² Okomu Forest Reserve, and situated about 60 km north-west of the city of Benin. The vegetation is typical Guinea–Congo lowland rainforest and is characterized by a mosaic of swamp-forest, high forest, secondary forest, and open scrub. Common trees include Ceiba pentandra, Celtis zenkeri, Triplochiton scleroxylon, Antiaris africana, Pycnanthus angolensis and Alstonia congoensis. The soils are sandy loam and acidic. Mean annual rainfall is about 2,100 mm and exposed soils are nutrient-poor as a result of leaching. The reserve’s main drainage is the southerly flowing Osse river, which forms its eastern boundary.
Key biodiversity
See Box and Table 3 for key species. About 150 bird species have been recorded from the park including, in addition to Ceratogymna elata, the nationally rare C. atrata. All four Negrofinches (Nigrita fusconata, N. bicolor, N. luteifrons and N. canicapilla) occur commonly. The nationally rare Telacanthura melanopygia has been recorded at Nikrowa, a settlement on the edge of the park.
Non-bird biodiversity: The mammal fauna is diverse (33 species) and includes Loxodonta africana cyclotis (EN) and Syncerus caffer (LR/cd), while the site is a stronghold for Cercopithecus erythrogaster (VU).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Okomu National Park (Nigeria). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/okomu-national-park-iba-nigeria on 22/12/2024.