Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
The site is located on the north-west coast, to the south of the town of Kamsar, at the mouth of Rio Kapatchez. It extends between Pointe Gonzalez to the north-west and the Koumba river to the south-east, just to the north of Cap Verga. The site includes a large expanse of mudflats as well as mangroves, sand-dunes, freshwater marsh and rice-fields. Mangroves are well-developed along the Kaliki river and, at its mouth, c.3 km east of Pointe Gonzalez, is a sandy islet known as Khôni Benki.
See Box for key species. The mudflats are used by both
Phoenicopterus minor (counts of 5,000–10,000) and
P. ruber. Several waterbird species nest in the mangroves including
Scopus umbretta, Ciconia episcopus and, perhaps,
Mycteria ibis. In addition, large numbers of wintering waders use the mudflats, including several hundred
Recurvirostra avosetta. Khôni Benki is an important high-tide roost for waders. The freshwater marshes and rice-fields are used by numerous nesting
Phalacrocorax africanus,
Anhinga rufa,
Casmerodius albus, Dendrocygna viduata and, probably,
Ardeola ralloides. Although there have been no complete counts, available data suggest that the site is regularly used by more than 20,000 waterbirds and it is likely that further counts would reveal that some species exceed 1% thresholds.
Non-bird biodiversity: The dolphin Sousa teuszii (DD) has been recorded near Khôni Benki.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The area was designated a Ramsar Site in 1992. Disturbance of nest-sites by farmers and fishermen is a problem, as is cutting of the mangroves to supply wood to the nearby urban market of Kamsar. Clearance of mangroves for rice cultivation is a further threat. The site is state owned.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Rio Kapatchez (Guinea). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/rio-kapatchez-iba-guinea on 24/12/2024.
