Current view: Text account
Site description (2003 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA comprises the stretch of the Sekong River from the international border with Laos to its confluence with Mekong River. Along this stretch of the river, there are many different habitats, many of which can be catagorised as channel mosaics of rock and sand islands with riverine scrub. There are no stretches dominated by extensive sandbars, and significant stretches are slow-moving and relatively featureless. For much of its length, the Sekong River is fringed by a belt of gallery forest, about 100 m wide, which is significantly taller than the adjacent deciduous dipterocarp forest, and contains a high proportion of broadleaf evergreen trees. However this has been degraded or cleared for cultivation in many areas.The IBA supports a suite of bird species restricted to wide, lowland rivers, including River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii, Small Pratincole Glareola lactea, Great Thick-knee Esacus recurvirostris and River Tern Sterna aurantia. In addition, the IBA supports Mekong Wagtail Motacilla samveasnae, a recently described species, which is thought to be endemic to the Mekong River and its major tributaries. Furthermore, at certain times of the year, the IBA may be important for a number of large waterbirds, including Giant Ibis Pseudibis gigantea.
One Glossy Ibis was recorded in 1998 feeding on the mouth of Sekong River close to Koh Dat. Some other regionally significant species were also recorded during the survey conducted in May 2002 such as Great Thick-knee (Esacus recurvirostris), Small Pratincole (Glareola lactea), River Lapwing (Vanellus duvaucelii), River Tern (Sterna aurantia) and Woolly-necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus). During the survey, a total of 10 Great Thick-knees (Esacus recurvirostris) were seen along the Sekong river, between Stung Treng town (UTM 0604662 1496202) and a point 3 km downstream of the Laotian border (UTM 0644578 1593125). On 22 May 2002, a total of 21 River Lapwings (Vanellus duvaucelii) were seen along the Sekong river, between Stung Treng town and a point 3 km downstream of the Laotian border. On 24 May 2002, a total of 14 birds were seen along the Sekong river between Siem Pang town and Stung Treng town. Taking the higher of the two counts for the stretch between Siem Pang and Stung Treng towns, the minimum count of River Lapwing along the Cambodian part of the Sekong river is 35 birds. This compares with a count of c.211 birds along a 200 km stretch of the Se San river, during May 1998 (Timmins and Men Soriyun 1998). The difference in number of birds recorded can be attributed to the fact that, during the survey along the Se San river, exposed sandbars were present along greater than 60% of the total river length, whereas, during the survey along the Sekong river, exposed sandbars were present along less than 15% of the total river length. On 19 May 2002, a total of 16 Small Pratincoles (Glareola lactea) were seen along the Sekong river between Stung Treng town and Siem Pang town. On 22 May 2002, a total of 20 birds were seen along the Sekong river, between Stung Treng town and a point 3 km downstream of the Laotian border. On 24 May 2002, a total of 16 birds were seen along the Sekong river between Siem Pang town and Stung Treng town. On 19 May 2002, a total of 31 River Terns (Sterna aurantia) were seen along the Sekong river between Stung Treng town and Siem Pang town (UTM 0650208 1560485). On 22 May 2002, a total of 11 birds were seen along the Sekong river, between Stung Treng town and a point 3 km downstream of the Laotian border. On 24 May 2002, a total of 20 birds were seen along the Sekong river between Siem Pang town and Stung Treng town. On 19 May 2002, two Woolly-necked Storks (Ciconia episcopuswere) seen in flight above gallery forest along the western bank of the Sekong river (UTM 0635490 1527343). On 20 May 2002, two birds were seen feeding at a seasonal wetland, about 1 ha in area, called Trapaeng Prolit Touch (UTM 0644374 1566530).
Non-bird biodiversity: Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis), Silvered Langur (Semnopithecus cristatus).Asiatic Softshell Turtle (Amyda cartilaginea), Asian Giant Softshell (Pelochelys cantorii).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Cutting of trees and clearance of land for agriculture occurs along both banks of the Sekong River, particularly along the lower sections and around Siem Pang town. During the dry season, the temporary fishing camps that are established at sections of channel mosaic habitat are a particular cause for concern, as they represent a source of disturbance to sandbar breeding birds. This disturbance can take the form of direct persecution, through hunting or egg collection, or accidental disturbance to nesting birds. A potential future threat to the IBA is the development of hydropower schemes upstream along the Sekong River or its tributaries, which may lead to changs in flow patterns with negative impacts on riverine birds.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Recommendations:- Efforts must be made to protect sandbar-nesting bird species while they are breeding. Community agreements could be set up with individual villages so that the nest areas will not be disturbed. - Conservation of the Sekong River should be at the scale of the complete length of the river system, as focusing on just a small stretch in isolation could have disastrous consequences. - New villages and agricultural development along the river should be discouraged and key stretches of riverine forest identified should be strictly protected from logging and shifting cultivation. - Further surveys and research need to be carried out. These should focus on identifying important stretches of riverine forest, smaller backwater rivers and streams, and better determining the numbers and breeding success of sandbar-nesting species.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sekong River (Cambodia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sekong-river-iba-cambodia on 22/11/2024.
